capable
Americanadjective
idioms
adjective
-
having ability, esp in many different fields; competent
-
able or having the skill (to do something)
she is capable of hard work
-
having the temperament or inclination (to do something)
he seemed capable of murder
Synonym Usage
See able.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of capable
First recorded in 1555–65; from Late Latin capābilis “intelligent, understandable,” apparently equivalent to cap(āx) “competent, fit, roomy” ( see capacity) + -ābilis able
Explanation
To be capable of something is to be able to do it, like your little brother who is perfectly capable of tying his own shoes, but likes having everyone else do it for him. When people are capable, they can handle whatever task is at hand, like a capable teacher who can explain difficult concepts and make it fun. You may also have heard that someone "isn't capable" of, say, committing a crime or hurting someone's feelings. In this case, not being capable is a compliment — it means you just won't let yourself do something to violate your own standards for behavior.
Vocabulary lists containing capable
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List 1
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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.
The Falcon 9 now launches about 150 times a year with boosters that are capable of being reused dozens of times.
From BBC • Jul. 10, 2026
"There's no AI autonomous algorithms ever capable to handle that safely."
From Barron's • Jul. 10, 2026
Raimi was capable of shapelier storytelling than this.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026
Anthropic recently built a model so capable it decided not to release it publicly over safety concerns.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2026
There were size limits—it couldn’t be too tall—but Anya was never worried about those, because she was certain she wasn’t capable of making one too high.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
