able

¹ American  

[ey-buhl] / ˈeɪ bəl /

adjective

abler, ablest

1. having necessary power, skill, resources, or qualifications; qualified.

   able to lift a two-hundred-pound weight; able to write music; able to travel widely; able to vote.

   Synonyms:

   fitted, fit

   Antonyms:

   incompetent

2. having unusual or superior intelligence, skill, etc..

   an able leader.

   Synonyms:

   ingenious, clever, skilled, talented

3. showing talent, skill, or knowledge.

   an able speech.

   Synonyms:

   apt

4. legally empowered, qualified, or authorized.

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noun

1. Usually Able a code word formerly used in communications to represent the letter A.

-able ² American  

1. a suffix meaning “capable of, susceptible of, fit for, tending to, given to,” associated in meaning with the word able, occurring in loanwords from Latin (laudable ); used in English as a highly productive suffix to form adjectives by addition to stems of any origin (teachable; photographable ).

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able ¹ British  

/ ˈeɪbəl /

adjective

1. (postpositive) having the necessary power, resources, skill, time, opportunity, etc, to do something

   able to swim

2. capable; competent; talented

   an able teacher

3. law qualified, competent, or authorized to do some specific act

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-able ² British  

suffix

1. capable of, suitable for, or deserving of (being acted upon as indicated)

   enjoyable

   pitiable

   readable

   separable

   washable

2. inclined to; given to; able to; causing

   comfortable

   reasonable

   variable

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Related Words

Able, capable, competent all mean possessing adequate power for doing something. Able implies power equal to effort required: able to finish in time. Capable implies power to meet or fulfill ordinary requirements: a capable worker. Competent suggests power to meet demands in a completely satisfactory manner: a competent nurse.

Other Word Forms

• -ability suffix
• -ably suffix
• overable adjective
• overably adverb

Etymology

Origin of able¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin habilis “handy,” equivalent to hab(ēre) “to have, hold” + -ilis adjective suffix; -ile

Origin of -able²

Middle English < Old French < Latin -ābilis, equivalent to -ā- final vowel of 1st conjugation v. stems + -bilis

Example Sentences

“People believe that these things will help them and that, in and of itself, helps people feel more relaxed and able to fall asleep,” Martin said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Fletcher said reform of the humanitarian system was in the pipeline, and US taxpayers would be able to see how their money was delivering life-saving impacts.

From Barron's

"Holders of diplomatic, special and service passports from both countries will be able to obtain an electronic visa free of charge starting January 1, 2026," they stated.

From Barron's

More worrisome is that even if Jackson is able to play against Pittsburgh, he hasn’t looked anywhere near his past MVP form this season.

From The Wall Street Journal

They’re able to take unstructured data or data that sits in Word documents and PDFs and emails, and then combine it with what they were doing before.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• adept
• apt
• capable
• competent
• proficient
• skilled