power or capacity to do or act physically, mentally, legally, morally, financially, etc.
competence in an activity or occupation because of one's skill, training, or other qualification.
the ability to sing well.
abilities, talents; special skills or aptitudes.
Composing music is beyond his abilities.
possession of the qualities required to do something; necessary skill, competence, or power
the ability to cope with a problem
considerable proficiency; natural capability
a man of ability
(plural) special talents
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.
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (h)abilite, from Middle French, from Latin habilitās “aptitude,” equivalent to habili(s) “handy” ( see able) + -tās -ty 2; replacing Middle English ablete, from Old French, from Latin, as above
Middle English -abilite, from French -abilité, from Latin -ābilitās (inflectional stem -ābilitāt- )
How does ability compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Ability is skill or talent. You might have the ability to blow bubbles, or sing in a falsetto, or dance the waltz. Or, just maybe, you have the ability to do all three things at once. Impressive! From the Old French ablate "expert at handling (something)," and that from the Latin habilitatem, "aptitude," comes the English ability, a noun indicating the power to act, perform, or accomplish. Capacity is similar in meaning to ability, but note that people have a capacity for doing something, and an ability to do something.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Spencer Stuart has given her a slate of candidates to review, she has the ability to approve the candidates that progress and sit in on the interviews, people familiar with the process said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
He says Zhang spoke excellent Spanish, with an instinct for street language and the ability to talk to anyone – always with a strong Beijing accent.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
When those abnormal forms appeared after memories had already formed, they interfered with the brain's ability to retrieve them.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
The Times, however, has criticized the move as a threat to press freedom and the ability of journalists to report on matters involving national security.
From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026
“That demonstrated your ability to adapt to rapidly changing situations. Also essential.”
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
The research expands on decades of work exploring how the brain acquires new abilities.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
The Niffakoq are enhanced by six niks, small brain implants that increase their physical and mental abilities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
And I greatly admire his dedication to maintaining his physical abilities throughout the years and his philanthropic pursuits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026
“You’re at the height of your abilities and the world is telling you that you can go off and disappear.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
Wands allow them to see Remarkable things as well, but once the magic in the wand runs out, they lose any magical abilities.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
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.
