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

Out of possession, Caldentey's ability to win the ball back high up the pitch was unrivalled last season, winning the ball in the opponent's third more than anybody in the WSL.

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Her ability to play out wide with ease allowed her team to build-up around opponents' press, finding her wider at times.

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It's not just ability that these Rangers players lack, it's character, it's stomach for the fight.

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Stellar names in the management game talk of his ability.

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Several technology executives expect the advent of AI agents, which are programs that have the ability to take simple directions and complete multistep tasks, to drive the next wave of tech growth.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

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