inability
Americannoun
noun
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.
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.
She, too, had a back injury and the inability to bowl allowed more time to work on her batting through the winter.
From BBC • Jun. 20, 2026
“I think the inability to seek federal habeas relief would also lead to more people simply giving up on viable claims for immigration relief because they can’t stand to be in detention any longer.”
From Slate • Jun. 18, 2026
“The government and Anthropic clearly have an inability to communicate effectively with each other,” said Michael Horowitz, a senior fellow for technology and innovation at the Council on Foreign Relations and former Defense Department official.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026
For generations, scientists have viewed the inability to regrow lost body parts as one of the fundamental limitations of humans and other mammals.
From Science Daily • Jun. 17, 2026
I blamed Dad and his inability to cough up Mom’s car, but he exhibited no signs of guilt.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
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.
