capability

noun

ca·​pa·​bil·​i·​ty ˌkā-pə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

plural capabilities

1

: the quality or state of being capable

also : ability

The mayor has demonstrated his capability to handle municipal problems.

2

: a feature or faculty capable of development : potentiality

This vacant urban district has great capabilities.

3

: the facility or potential for an indicated use or deployment

the capability of a metal to be fused

nuclear capability

Synonyms of capability

• qualification
• ability
• expertise
• talent
• stuff

Examples of capability in a Sentence

The device has the capability of recording two television channels at once.

the nature of the tasks to which you are assigned will depend on your capabilities

Recent Examples on the Web

Both Moscow and Kyiv have cutting-edge drone warfare capabilities forged in the grim laboratory of war where battlefield innovations have rewritten modern battle tactics. —Sam McNeil, Arkansas Online, 21 Feb. 2026

Combined with Ubisoft’s global publishing strength and live-operations capabilities, this creates a strong foundation for long-term success. —Jennifer Maas, Variety, 20 Feb. 2026

Outsourced refers to this as an ‘AI Pilot’ approach, which can help clients scale specialised capability more efficiently than local hiring alone. —Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026

Frontier Red Team leader Logan Graham told Fortune that Claude Code Security is meant to put this power in the hands of security teams that need to boost their defensive capabilities. —Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 20 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing capability

• nuclear capability

Rhymes for capability

• affability
• audibility
• bistability
• changeability
• contractility
• credibility
• culpability
• disability
• disutility
• durability
• fallibility
• feasibility