capability
Americannoun
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capabilities
plural
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the quality of being capable; capacity; ability.
His capability was unquestionable.
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the ability to undergo or be affected by a given treatment or action.
the capability of glass in resisting heat.
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Usually capabilities. qualities, abilities, features, etc., that can be used or developed; potential.
Though dilapidated, the house has great capabilities.
noun
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the quality of being capable; ability
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the quality of being susceptible to the use or treatment indicated
the capability of a metal to be fused
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(usually plural) a characteristic that may be developed; potential aptitude
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of capability
First recorded in 1580–90; from Middle French capabilité, from Late Latin capābili(s) capable + -ty 2
Compare meaning
How does capability compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A capability is something a person or a thing is able to do. It's hard to find a cell phone that doesn't include other capabilities, like taking pictures or storing MP3s. Inside the word capability is the word ability. Note the fine distinction between them. If you have an ability, it means you know how to do something. If you have a capability, it means you have the power to do something. Buying uranium gives a country the capability of making nuclear weapons, but first they need scientists with the ability to do the work.
Vocabulary lists containing capability
"The Declaration of Sentiments" (1848)
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Vocabulary from texts about Colin Powell
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President Obama's Speech at Hiroshima
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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.
See Examples For:
“That kind of capability directly disrupts the operational advantage these transnational criminal organizations rely on, and it strengthens our ability to protect both Texas communities and the broader region,” he said in an email.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
"A core issue is fragmented governance, not a lack of technical capability."
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
"At this level of capability, safety has to become our top priority," OpenAI President Greg Brockman told reporters on a call about the release of GPT-6, also known as Astra.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
What he said: “We projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
To the best of my capability I could.
From "Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago" by LeAlan Jones
Aside from attracting the attention of several passers-by, Kulis said the use of robots was meant to show their existing capabilities and thereby, the urgency of the situation.
From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026
We remain committed to NATO’s collective defense and clear-eyed about the need for Allies to increase their capabilities to deter all threats to…
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026
Apple showed off the new capabilities in June during the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 7, 2026
Americans who otherwise ignored the cameras in their cities have started to notice, and tune in to the capabilities of the technology around them.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
But these countries are steadily developing their research and development capabilities to handle more and more of these phases.
From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
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.
