ability
noun
power or capacity to do or act physically, mentally, legally, morally, financially, etc.
ability
1 American
[uh-bil-i-tee]
/ əˈbɪl ɪ ti /
noun
-
abilities
plural
-
power or capacity to do or act physically, mentally, legally, morally, financially, etc.
- Synonyms:
- dexterity, expertness, proficiency, capability
-
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.
-ability
2
American
ability
British
/ əˈbɪlɪtɪ /
noun
-
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
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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” ( see 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:
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.
Vocabulary lists containing ability
"Kids Are Inventors, Too"
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Workshop 1, Part 1
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 9
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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.
See Examples For:
Chief Executive Curtis Campbell said the results reflect improvements in the mix of H&R Block’s client base and evidence that testing and experimentation is accelerating the company’s ability to learn, adapt and scale.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Prosecutors also pointed to his extensive international travel, as evidence of his ability to avoid trial.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
"Rather than centralizing superintelligence, we should distribute it widely and give every person the ability to direct it," Zuckerberg wrote, arguing that open models are a key part of a global AI ecosystem.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
We’re going to have commenting, watch lists and the ability to share offline.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
In cases where NTIs do not have a reasonable ability to manipulate events, it is still best to withhold all information.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
“We felt like this was the way that we could take all of our storytelling abilities and apply it to this.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
"When we compare humans with other primates, we are looking at abilities that may have come from a common ancestor," Cuaya added.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Scientists may need to look beyond the abilities of individual sperm and pay greater attention to how group behavior affects reproductive outcomes.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026
A bot is placed in a simulation and given a hacking challenge to test its abilities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
“They’d be wasted in a zoo, governess. It’s their abilities that amaze. I’d put them in a special habitat, where their talent for tracking could be fully appreciated. A Permanent Incorrigible Enclosure.”
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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.
