Synonyms

capable

American

[key-puh-buhl] / ˈkeɪ pə bəl /

adjective

having power and ability; efficient; competent.

a capable instructor.

Synonyms:

accomplished, ingenious, skillful

idioms

capable of,
1. having the ability or capacity for.
  
  a man capable of judging art.
2. open to the influence or effect of; susceptible of.
  
  a situation capable of improvement.
3. predisposed to; inclined to.
  
  capable of murder.

capable British

/ ˈkeɪpəbəl /

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See able.

Other Word Forms

capableness noun
capably adverb
overcapable adjective
quasi-capable adjective
quasi-capably adverb
supercapable adjective
supercapableness noun
supercapably adverb

Etymology

Origin of capable

First recorded in 1555–65; from Late Latin capābilis “intelligent, understandable,” apparently equivalent to cap(āx) “competent, fit, roomy” ( capacity ) + -ābilis able

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.

Beyond 2040, if we want features on chips to become any smaller and gadgets to become more capable, we will probably have to abandon silicon altogether, according to every expert I spoke with.

From The Wall Street Journal

Stalin “possessed both an uncontrollable temper and extraordinary willpower. He was capable of bewildering recklessness and cold-blooded displays of control.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Iran would need to master significant technological challenges before it could field an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking the U.S. homeland, according to U.S. intelligence estimates and experts outside government.

From The Wall Street Journal

As for AI being used in weapons, Amodei said even today's most advanced and capable AI systems "are simply not reliable enough to power fully autonomous weapons."

From BBC

The company said in January it had teamed up with Google to make Olive capable of doing more tasks for customers, including meal planning.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023