ability

¹ 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 ² American  

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

   capability.

---

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

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- )

Compare meaning

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

• capability vs. ability

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

Canva made its first significant AI acquisition in 2021, buying privately owned Kaleido and its ability to instantly remove the background from images.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

These effects led to key features of aging in HSCs, including reduced ability to renew themselves, decreased production of lymphoid cells, and a shift toward myeloid cell output.

From Science Daily • Apr. 16, 2026

"Classical plays give you language, the ability to speak it and to give a kind of spin to a sentence that you don't have with modern playwriting," she said.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Even with the recent price action, shares of Microsoft have fallen roughly 11% so far this year, as investors have grown apprehensive of Microsoft’s ability to compete in the age of AI.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

An animal is only releasable if it will have the ability to return to its wild life and have an optimal chance of surviving.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

Related Words

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