inability
Americannoun
noun
Synonym Usage
See disability.
Etymology
Origin of inability
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English inabilite, from Medieval Latin inhabilitās; equivalent to in- 3 + ability
Explanation
An inability refers to lacking the capacity to do something. A deaf person has an inability to hear. If you know that abilities are things people can do — like the ability of a basketball player to dunk the ball — then you might already have figured out that an inability is something a person cannot do. Most people have an inability to dunk a basketball. People who eat too much have an inability to resist food. Often, this word refers to having mental limitations: an inability to think or figure something out. We all have different abilities and inabilities.
Vocabulary lists containing inability
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.
Inability to maintain high quality may be a factor in deciding whether a developer is abiding by the Developer Code of Conduct.
From The Verge • Jun. 7, 2021
Rebecca Onion: The bees are related to his Inability to Love.
From Slate • Jan. 23, 2021
"Inability to breathe after simple tasks like getting a glass of water" was another side-effect, the 34-year-old actress said.
From Fox News • Aug. 1, 2020
The reason: Inability to schedule required meetings with overburdened permitting officials, according to developer Maria Barrientos.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 27, 2019
Inability to pay rent forced us to move into a house perched atop high logs in a section of the town where flood waters came.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
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.
