inability

in·abil·i·ty

noun \ˌi-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē\

: the condition of not being able to do something : lack of ability

Full Definition of INABILITY

:  lack of sufficient power, resources, or capacity <his inability to do mathematics>

Examples of INABILITY

1. She has shown an inability to concentrate.
2. the inability of the government to cope with the problem

Origin of INABILITY

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

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to INABILITY

Synonyms

impotence, inadequacy, incapability, incapacity, incompetence, incompetency, ineptitude, insufficiency, powerlessness

Antonyms

ability, adequacy, capability, capacity, competence, competency, potency

Related Words

disqualification, inaptitude; ineffectiveness, ineffectuality, ineffectualness, inefficaciousness, inefficacy, inefficiency

Near Antonyms

aptitude, bent, endowment, flair, genius, gift, knack, talent; effectiveness, effectualness, efficaciousness, efficiency; fitness, suitability, suitableness; potency, power, puissance, sinew, strength

Rhymes with INABILITY

actability, affability, arability, audibility, bankability, bearability, biddability, breathability, brushability, capability, changeability, clubbability, coilability, contractility, countability, credibility, crossability, culpability, curability, cutability, disability, disutility, drapability, drillability, drinkability, drivability, durability, dyeability, edibility, equability, erectility, fallibility, feasibility, fishability, flammability, flexibility, forgeability, formability, frangibility, friability, fungibility, fusibility, gullibility, hatchability, ignobility, imbecility, immobility, incivility, indocility, infantility, infertility, instability, inutility, juvenility, leachability, legibility, liability, likability, livability, lovability, mailability, meltability, miscibility, movability, mutability, notability, packability, placability, plausibility, playability, pliability, portability, possibility, potability, pregnability, prehensility, printability, probability, puerility, readability, rentability, risibility, roadability, salability, sensibility, sewability, shareability, sociability, solubility, solvability, spreadability, squeezability, stainability, stretchability, suitability, tenability, testability, traceability, trainability, treatability, tunability, usability, vendibility, versatility, viability, visibility, volatility, washability, wearability, wettability, workability