inability

noun

in·​abil·​i·​ty ˌi-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce inability (audio)
: lack of sufficient power, resources, or capacity
his inability to do math

Examples of inability in a Sentence

She has shown an inability to concentrate. the inability of the government to cope with the problem
Recent Examples on the Web The Black Keys’ magic lies in Auerbach and Carney’s almost supernatural ability to communicate with each other musically — and frequent inability to speak to each other about the important stuff, without instruments. William Earl, Variety, 12 Mar. 2024 All three cases have highlighted longstanding concerns about the inability of international sports officials to balance the imperatives of clean sport and fair play with providing justice to deserving athletes in a timely manner. Jeré Longman, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024 One of the biggest differences was Resurrection Christian’s inability to take care of the ball and Holy Family being able to capitalize. Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2024 At times he’s been more critical — dropping an F-bomb in a recent postgame news conference in reaction to the team’s inability to get to the free-throw line. Calum McAndrew, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2024 One year later, only some of those rules have been finalized or implemented, a reflection of the typically slow, lumbering nature of the federal rulemaking process and the inability of a divided, hyperpartisan Congress to tackle even the most basic tasks. Tony Romm, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 My inability to apply rules consistently or to follow through on executive orders. Pamela Paul, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 Between 1993 and 2023, more than a dozen southern states including Florida, Mississippi and Alabama significantly deprived their HBCUs by more than $13 billion due to their inability to equitably match federal grants for land-grant institutions, according to the Biden administration. C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024 Our inability to stay focused has previously reared its head in the ongoing lawsuits against Combs. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inability.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English inhabilite disqualification, from Medieval Latin inhabilitas, from Latin in- + habilitas ability

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of inability was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near inability

Cite this Entry

“Inability.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inability. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

inability

noun
in·​abil·​i·​ty ˌin-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē How to pronounce inability (audio)
: lack of ability, power, or means
his inability to carry a tune

More from Merriam-Webster on inability

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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