ability

1 of 2

noun

abil·​i·​ty ə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

plural abilities

1

a

: the quality or state of being able

the ability of the soil to hold water

especially : physical, mental, or legal power to do something

a writer's ability to engage the reader's interest

did the work to the best of her ability [=as well as she could]

b

: competence in doing something : skill

artistic abilities

2

: natural aptitude or acquired proficiency

students with different abilities

-ability

2 of 2

noun suffix

variants or less commonly -ibility

: capacity, fitness, or tendency to act or be acted on in a (specified) way

agglutinability

Synonyms

Noun

• capability
• capableness
• capacity
• competence
• competency
• faculty

Examples of ability in a Sentence

Noun

a young woman with many remarkable musical abilities

a young woman of great musical ability

She has shown some ability with foreign languages.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Xi’s recent actions, however, do not inspire confidence in his ability or willingness to take these and other steps to avoid a stagnating economy. —Evan S. Medeiros, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024

The bill would limit the ability of government officials to accept federal funding related to elections, an attempt to limit the ability of President Joe Biden or another Democratic presidential administration to direct dollars into Kansas elections. —Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2024

The aim is to improve the technical, physical and cognitive abilities of players through proprietary training systems using meaningful repetitions. —Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2024

But Alexander Hertzel-Fernandez, a professor at Columbia University who is a former Biden administration Labor Department official, argued that lower-income workers don't have the ability to negotiate over such provisions. —Christopher Rugaber, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024

One of those fundamental guarantees is the ability to choose one’s field of study, to conduct research without political intervention, and to openly discuss the results of one’s work. —Michael S. Roth, TIME, 23 Apr. 2024

His ability to appear as anyone and anything is fast becoming his USP. —Alex Ritman, Variety, 23 Apr. 2024

For one thing, in many cases, a few extra points of accuracy in a model’s reasoning ability on a benchmark, which may not seem like much, can make a huge difference to what a business can do with a model. —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2024

Between the losses and damage to the underground complexes, Hamas’s ability to command its forces has been severely reduced. —Adam Rasgon, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English ablete, abilite, habilite "suitability, proficiency, ability," borrowed from Anglo-French abilité, borrowed from Latin habilitāt-, habilitās "aptitude," from habilis "easy to handle, adaptable, fit" + -tāt-, -tās -ty — more at able

Noun suffix

Middle English -ablete, -abilite, -iblete, -ibilite, borrowed from Anglo-French -ableté, -abilité, -ibleté, -ibilité, borrowed from Latin -abilitās, -ibilitās, from -abilis, -ibilis -able + -tās -ty

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing ability

• to the best of her ability

Kids Definition

ability

1 of 2 noun

abil·​i·​ty ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

plural abilities

1

a

: the quality or state of being able : power to do something

b

: competence in doing : skill

2

: natural or learned skill

-ability

2 of 2 noun suffix

-abil·​i·​ty

variants also -ibility

ə-ˈbil-ət-ē

plural -ties

: ability, fitness, or likeliness to act or be acted on in (such) a way

readability

Etymology

Noun suffix

derived from Latin -abilitas, -ibilitas "-ability"