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Synonyms

inability

American  
[in-uh-bil-i-tee] / ˌɪn əˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun

  • inabilities
    plural
  1. lack of ability; lack of power, capacity, or means.

    his inability to make decisions.

    Synonyms:
    incompetence, impotence, incapacity, incapability

inability British  
/ ˌɪnəˈbɪlɪtɪ /

noun

  1. lack of ability or means; incapacity

"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

Synonym Usage

See disability.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of inability

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English inabilite, from Medieval Latin inhabilitās; equivalent to in- 3 + ability

Explanation

An inability refers to lacking the capacity to do something. A deaf person has an inability to hear. If you know that abilities are things people can do — like the ability of a basketball player to dunk the ball — then you might already have figured out that an inability is something a person cannot do. Most people have an inability to dunk a basketball. People who eat too much have an inability to resist food. Often, this word refers to having mental limitations: an inability to think or figure something out. We all have different abilities and inabilities.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing inability

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.

See Examples For:

Abu Ridi voiced frustration at the Israeli military's inability to remove a handful of settlers from the site and called for more action to resolve the situation.

From Barron's Aug. 17, 2026

I felt my inability to reach Sarah acutely.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 5, 2026

Carmen Schober, the profile’s author, ignored the way members of Schmidt’s online forum, Skinni Société, commiserated about their hair loss and inability to stand without getting dizzy.

From Salon Aug. 5, 2026

He blamed the false statements in his deposition testimony on the “passage of time, limited preparation, and his inability to recall the documents during questioning.”

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 4, 2026

Hila shot Boaz a glare, as if the fact that Anthony’s inability to rest was his personal fault and responsibility.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

But the frustration is that Australia, at times, have not outplayed England - instead, they have been gifted opportunities to win by England's inabilities to do the basics, like catching the ball.

From BBC Feb. 2, 2025

In April 2020, the Department of Transportation received over 17,000 complaints about inabilities to get refunds for flights, a more than 17,000-percent increase from just 98 in the same month in 2019.

From New York Times Jul. 6, 2021

Hewitt’s own inabilities aside, the actress can at least play the part.

From Los Angeles Times Oct. 18, 2018

But these inabilities do not exceed the corporeal: physical growth is not a metaphor for emotional growth.

From The Guardian Jan. 31, 2018

And for all the irritation and humiliations centering round his loss of Rawdon and his inabilities with regard to Dora he blamed Ethel.

From The Man Between, an International Romance by Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr

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