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.
"In some sense it was scary. But also it was fascinating -- like, what the robot was capable of."
From Barron's
On offense, Shaheed is capable of scoring at any moment—and the mere threat of the big play creates headaches for opposing defenses.
These analyses revealed that the treatment transformed the tumor environment by removing immune-suppressing cells and attracting immune cells capable of killing cancer.
From Science Daily
Giant snow "hot tubs" capable of melting between 60 and 120 tons of snow an hour.
From Barron's
The Board of Peace’s Gaza Executive Board, which will support effective governance in the strip, includes capable people.
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.
