capability
Americannoun
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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:
The Lovell Telescope has been overtaken in size by larger radio telescopes, but has continuously been modernised and remains key to the UK's radio astronomy capability.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
"Internationally, people will look at that and will hardly believe it. You're cutting off the radio astronomy capability in the country," Prof Kramer said.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
“This is a military that has a well-developed drone capability, it’s had a missile program, a rocket program for a long period of time. They’ve got a lot of expertise in this area.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Ferguson said Boeing's model of building with regional partners was intended to give countries greater control over the capability rather than simply importing a US system.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Even under the greatest duress, my capability to dissemble was scarcely diminished.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
Several such models that were produced in China have wowed users in recent months with capabilities that edged closer to frontier U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
In the next decade, the smaller Mark II telescope was built to work alongside the larger telescope to increase the observatories capabilities.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Muse Spark 1.1 was the company’s first AI model with competitive agentic coding capabilities and the first to be monetized through an API.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Astronomers have described the move as "short-sighted" and a significant blow to the UK's research capabilities.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
But if they are to row well together, each of these oarsmen must adjust to the needs and capabilities of the other.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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.
