habile

[ hab-il ]

/ ˈhæb ɪl /

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adjective

skillful; dexterous; adroit.

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Origin of habile

1375–1425; late Middle English habyll<Latin habilis handy, apt; see able

Words nearby habile

haberdasher, haberdashery, habergeon, Habermas, Haber process, habile, habiliment, habilitate, habilitation, Habima, Habiru

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How to use habile in a sentence

Whether in his study of political problems, his pictures of people, or his sketches of scenery, he is equally keen and habile.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 108, April 6, 1895|Various
Le plus grand art d'un habile homme est celui de savior cacher son habileté.
Dross|Henry Seton Merriman
Le plus grand art d'un habile homme est celui de savoir cacher son habileté.
Dross|Henry Seton Merriman
Elsewhere he calls him, ‘cet habile naturaliste; ce savant clbre,’ vol.
History of Civilization in England, Vol. 2 of 3|Henry Thomas Buckle

From French, "habile," in which we see the etymology of "able."
Letters of Samuel Rutherford|Samuel Rutherford

British Dictionary definitions for habile

habile

/ (ˈhæbiːl) /

adjective

rare skilful

obsolete fit

Word Origin for habile

C14: from Latin habilis, from habēre to have; see able

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012