capable
Americanadjective
idioms
adjective
-
having ability, esp in many different fields; competent
-
able or having the skill (to do something)
she is capable of hard work
-
having the temperament or inclination (to do something)
he seemed capable of murder
Synonym Usage
See able.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of capable
First recorded in 1555–65; from Late Latin capābilis “intelligent, understandable,” apparently equivalent to cap(āx) “competent, fit, roomy” ( see capacity) + -ābilis able
Explanation
To be capable of something is to be able to do it, like your little brother who is perfectly capable of tying his own shoes, but likes having everyone else do it for him. When people are capable, they can handle whatever task is at hand, like a capable teacher who can explain difficult concepts and make it fun. You may also have heard that someone "isn't capable" of, say, committing a crime or hurting someone's feelings. In this case, not being capable is a compliment — it means you just won't let yourself do something to violate your own standards for behavior.
Vocabulary lists containing capable
Words to Describe Yourself on a Resume
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List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“What does that feel like with how he’s feeling to be able to resume 11-on-11 and being able to play and do the things that he’s capable of.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
Anthropic created the popular chatbot Claude and has this year released a number of increasingly capable AI models, the technology underlying AI chatbots.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei followed on Saturday with an essay urging AI companies to slow the pace at which they make their models more capable.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
Many cells in the body are capable of dividing, allowing us to grow and helping tissues repair themselves after injury.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
Mostly, it postponed war with England until America was economically and politically more capable of fighting one.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
