incapable
Americanadjective
-
not capable.
- Antonyms:
- able
-
not having the necessary ability, qualification, or strength to perform some specified act or function.
As an administrator, he is simply incapable.
- Synonyms:
- unqualified, impotent
-
without ordinary capability; incompetent.
noun
idioms
adjective
-
not capable (of); lacking the ability (to)
-
powerless or helpless, as through injury or intoxication
-
not susceptible (to); not admitting (of)
a problem incapable of solution
Synonym Usage
Incapable, incompetent, inefficient, unable are applied to a person or thing that is lacking in ability, preparation, or power for whatever is to be done. Incapable usually means inherently lacking in ability or power: incapable of appreciating music; a bridge incapable of carrying heavy loads. Incompetent, generally used only of persons, means unfit or unqualified for a particular task: incompetent as an administrator. Inefficient means wasteful in the use of effort or power: an inefficient manager; inefficient methods. Unable usually refers to a temporary condition of inability to do some specific thing: unable to relax, to go to a concert.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of incapable
From the Late Latin word incapābilis, dating back to 1585–95. See in- 3, capable
Explanation
When — even when you want to go to your friends' party — you're incapable of telling your mother you are going to miss her birthday dinner, it means you just can't do it, and that you're a good person. Incapable means "unable." If incapable means "unable," does capable mean "able"? Yes, but capable also can mean good at getting things done in general, while incapable less often has such a general meaning. You would say, "I'm incapable of making a decent loaf of bread." You'd be less likely to say, "I'm incapable in the kitchen."
Vocabulary lists containing incapable
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 12–15
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A Wrinkle in Time
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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.
Not all of Sybylla’s experiences are upbeat or encouraging—she is constitutionally incapable of conforming, which gets her in constant trouble among the more proper circles into which she is thrust.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
The clause survives as decoration: incorporated, venerated, and incapable of stopping a single seizure.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
It is a fact that AI is inherently incapable of producing an accurate image of the past.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
But, she adds, that doesn't mean people with insecure attachments are incapable of healthy relationships.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
But these people whose money he ran were incapable of keeping their emotional distance from the market.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
