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
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
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.
"Every player dreams of England and Calvert-Lewin has been in the squad before, scored goals and shown he is capable at that level, so will have that belief in himself," Murphy added.
From BBC
They started by turning blood and skin cells from patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and from healthy individuals into stem cells capable of developing into brain-like tissue.
From Science Daily
Western countries fear that these satellite launch systems incorporate technologies interchangeable with those used in ballistic missiles, potentially capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
From Barron's
So I’ll leave us with a bit of his advice for the future: “Be agents of communion, capable of breaking down the logic of division and polarization, of individualism and egocentrism.”
From Los Angeles Times
Berezovsky may have exaggerated his role, but Russia's oligarchs were certainly capable of pulling strings at the highest echelons of power.
From BBC
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.
