ability

¹

[uh-bil-i-tee]

noun

plural

abilities 

1. power or capacity to do or act physically, mentally, legally, morally, financially, etc.

   Synonyms: dexterity, expertness, proficiency, capability

2. competence in an activity or occupation because of one's skill, training, or other qualification.

   the ability to sing well.

3. abilities, talents; special skills or aptitudes.

   Composing music is beyond his abilities.

-ability

²

1. a combination of -able and -ity, found on nouns corresponding to adjectives ending in -able:

   capability.

ability

/ əˈbɪlɪtɪ /

noun

1. possession of the qualities required to do something; necessary skill, competence, or power

   the ability to cope with a problem

2. considerable proficiency; natural capability

   a man of ability

3. (plural) special talents

Other Word Forms

• subability noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ability¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (h)abilite, from Middle French, from Latin habilitās “aptitude,” equivalent to habili(s) “handy” ( able ) + -tās -ty ²; replacing Middle English ablete, from Old French, from Latin, as above

Origin of ability²

Middle English -abilite, from French -abilité, from Latin -ābilitās (inflectional stem -ābilitāt- )

Word History and Origins

Origin of ability¹

C14: from Old French from Latin habilitās aptitude, handiness, from habilis _able

Synonym Study

Ability, faculty, talent denote qualifications or powers. Ability is a general word for power, native or acquired, enabling one to do things well: a person of great ability; ability in mathematics. Faculty denotes a natural ability for a particular kind of action: a faculty of saying what he means. Talent is often used to mean a native ability or aptitude in a special field: a talent for music or art.

Example Sentences

Many users, especially those in Gen Z, have grown tired of dating apps and question their ability to foster meaningful connections, opting instead for in-person interactions.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But this is the first instance we can find of the U.N. claiming the ability to levy a tax—the revenues from which will be paid directly into a U.N.-controlled fund.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Rashford knows Tuchel has faith in his ability - he is selecting him for starters - but the warning is clear.

Read more on BBC

Gibbs-White has the ability to be in that shake-up, although he may hope for some stability at the City Ground, where new manager Ange Postecoglou is already under pressure after the sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo, who got Forest into Europe and also got the best out of the 25-year-old.

Read more on BBC

Meanwhile, Nvidia said late Monday it would start shipping the DGX Spark, which it calls the “world’s smallest AI supercomputer” and said it would allow developers to create AI agents—programs that have the ability to take simple directions and complete multistep tasks—and run advanced software locally rather than via cloud computing.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• capability 
• capacity 
• competence 
• intelligence 
• qualification 
• skill 
• strength 
• talent 
• understanding