capable

American  

[key-puh-buhl] / ˈkeɪ pə bəl /

adjective

1. having power and ability; efficient; competent.

   a capable instructor.

   Synonyms:

   accomplished, ingenious, skillful

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idioms

1. capable of,

   1. having the ability or capacity for.

      a man capable of judging art.

   2. open to the influence or effect of; susceptible of.

      a situation capable of improvement.

   3. predisposed to; inclined to.

      capable of murder.

capable British  

/ ˈkeɪpəbəl /

adjective

1. having ability, esp in many different fields; competent

2. able or having the skill (to do something)

   she is capable of hard work

3. having the temperament or inclination (to do something)

   he seemed capable of murder

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Related Words

See able.

Other Word Forms

• capableness noun
• capably adverb
• overcapable adjective
• quasi-capable adjective
• quasi-capably adverb
• supercapable adjective
• supercapableness noun
• supercapably adverb

Etymology

Origin of capable

First recorded in 1555–65; from Late Latin capābilis “intelligent, understandable,” apparently equivalent to cap(āx) “competent, fit, roomy” ( 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.

Example Sentences

Michael Vermeer, a physical scientist at Rand Corporation, said that we have not yet figured out how to align models to human values, yet we are “deploying them as highly capable agents.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026

Makhmudov, though, is one of the few heavyweights capable of matching Fury for sheer physical presence.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

"I expect the upcoming DeepSeek V4 release will not just be a software update; it will be a highly capable, open-source model that handles massive context windows at a fraction of the cost," he predicted.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

The difference this year is that he’s armed with proof that he’s actually capable of coming out on top here.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

But this story doesn’t need eerie coincidences: Leonardo is more than capable of distracting himself.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

Related Words

• able
• accomplished
• adept
• adequate
• competent
• efficient
• experienced
• gifted
• good
• intelligent
• proficient
• qualified
• skillful
• suited
• talented