-ability

¹ American  

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

   capability.

---

ability ² American  

[uh-bil-i-tee] / əˈbɪl ɪ ti /

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 British  

/ 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

---

Related Words

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.

Other Word Forms

• subability noun

Etymology

Origin of -ability¹

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

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

Compare meaning

How does ability compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• capability vs. ability

Example Sentences

Military analysts think it has the ability to follow through, if it feels sufficiently threatened.

From Barron's

Their use of modern labor analytics signals an ability to execute more precisely, track returns more effectively and make timely adjustments, while companies that fail to modernize will continue to make costly errors in workforce management.

From MarketWatch

She had an obvious depth of knowledge and command of her subject matter, and even despite the constraints of modern radio programming, her shows stood out because the craft behind them was obvious, and she is one of those people who was born to be on the radio because of her ability to connect with listeners.

From Salon

The company has earned praise from analysts for its steadiness, its ability to draw profit from all aspects of the energy industry, and its enviable exploration and production footprint — which includes West Texas’s Permian Basin and, next door to Venezuela, Guyana, where it has emerged as a key player.

From MarketWatch

In common with other forecasters, they have been surprised by the global economy’s ability to adjust to the largest rise in tariffs in a century.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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