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.
Obviously, his inability to retain 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara was frustrating and ultimately devastating.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026
He’s long resented her inability to contain the frenzy surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein files.
From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026
Rousseau later apologised in a written statement released in both English and French, saying he was deeply saddened his inability to speak French "diverted attention" from the pilots' grieving families and Air Canada staff.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
In his apology, Rousseau said that he was “deeply saddened that my inability to speak French has diverted attention from the profound grief of the families and the great resilience of Air Canada’s employees.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
My inability to discern the obvious was exacerbated to some degree by the guide-client protocol.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
