inability
Americannoun
noun
Related Words
See disability.
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.
Does it speak of an overflow of creativity — or of an inability to edit?
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
However, the inability to meaningfully distance itself from that breakout level raises some concern.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
The inability to manage this program contributed to workers’ compensation liabilities of over $17 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
It is the inability of businesses, investors and consumers to confidently price what comes next.
From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026
It all comes to the same thing—a refusal or inability to face the situation squarely.
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
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.
