inability

American  

[in-uh-bil-i-tee] / ˌɪn əˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun

1. lack of ability; lack of power, capacity, or means.

   his inability to make decisions.

   Synonyms:

   incompetence, impotence, incapacity, incapability

---

inability British  

/ ˌɪnəˈbɪlɪtɪ /

noun

1. lack of ability or means; incapacity

---

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

Example Sentences

Moscow’s inability to secure a swift victory against both Ukraine and then Prigozhin, despite multibillion-dollar upgrades to its military, suggested to Chinese leaders that ambitious modernization doesn’t automatically produce a formidable fighting force.

From The Wall Street Journal

Clinically, accommodation should follow demonstrated functional impairment: an inability to perform essential tasks even with reasonable support.

From The Wall Street Journal

The inability or unwillingness on the part of hundreds of thousands of businesses of all sizes to boost their productivity is what turns Germany’s demographic transformation into a crisis.

From The Wall Street Journal

Raman has said that her decision to run was driven in part by her frustration with city leaders’ inability to get the basics right, such as fixing streetlights and paving streets.

From Los Angeles Times

Silverblatt was shy and too embarrassed to speak during class because of his inability to clearly pronounce the letter “L,” which appears three times in his own name.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• failure
• impotence
• incompetence
• inefficiency
• ineptitude
• lack
• shortcoming
• weakness