capability
Americannoun
plural
capabilities-
the quality of being capable; capacity; ability.
His capability was unquestionable.
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the ability to undergo or be affected by a given treatment or action.
the capability of glass in resisting heat.
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Usually capabilities. qualities, abilities, features, etc., that can be used or developed; potential.
Though dilapidated, the house has great capabilities.
noun
-
the quality of being capable; ability
-
the quality of being susceptible to the use or treatment indicated
the capability of a metal to be fused
-
(usually plural) a characteristic that may be developed; potential aptitude
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of capability
First recorded in 1580–90; from Middle French capabilité, from Late Latin capābili(s) capable + -ty 2
Compare meaning
How does capability compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A capability is something a person or a thing is able to do. It's hard to find a cell phone that doesn't include other capabilities, like taking pictures or storing MP3s. Inside the word capability is the word ability. Note the fine distinction between them. If you have an ability, it means you know how to do something. If you have a capability, it means you have the power to do something. Buying uranium gives a country the capability of making nuclear weapons, but first they need scientists with the ability to do the work.
Vocabulary lists containing capability
"The Declaration of Sentiments" (1848)
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Vocabulary from texts about Colin Powell
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President Obama's Speech at Hiroshima
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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.
Defense Department’s Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability contract vehicle reflects a shift toward acquiring commercial cloud services across classification levels.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 28, 2026
Tesla had said during July hearings that it had made clear to consumers that its Autopilot and Full-Self Driving Capability driver-assistance packages don’t make its cars fully autonomous and require active driver supervision.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025
It also examined the DWP's data on medical conditions recorded on Work Capability Assessments and highlighted the fact that many benefit claimants cited mental health problems and musculoskeletal problems.
From BBC • Mar. 22, 2024
Capability describes whether you can do something, while credibility describes whether people trust you to do something.
From Scientific American • Jul. 25, 2023
These delightfully proportioned amusements would therefore need all the help they could get from formal blueprints like Sonata Form, and from musical versions of the balanced layouts of Capability Brown’s gardens, or Robert Adam’s buildings.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
