ability

noun abil·i·ty \ ə-ˈbi-lə-tē \

Definition of ability

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

See ability defined for English-language learners

See ability defined for kids

Examples of ability in a Sentence

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 of ability from the Web

Despite the trauma such an intense natural disaster can cause for school-aged children, Osofsky and her colleagues found children affected by Hurricane Katrina demonstrated a remarkable ability to bounce back.

— hayley glatter, The Atlantic, "How Schoolchildren Will Cope With Hurricane Harvey," 30 Aug. 2017
As many as 63 percent said the ability to find workers who can pass background checks was just fair.

— william thornton, AL.com, "Construction firms struggling to fill hourly craft positions, survey says," 30 Aug. 2017
The latest crackdown—an evolving effort to ban virtual private networks (VPNs) not under government control—could seriously erode scientists' ability to stay connected with peers abroad.

— dennis normile, Science | AAAS, "Science suffers as China’s internet censors plug holes in Great Firewall," 30 Aug. 2017
But critics argued that moving the birds away from their home range might skew the results, and that the sensory deprivation might also impact other factors, like their ability to feed or their motivation to return to their home territory.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Seabirds Use Their Sense of Smell to Navigate Open Water," 30 Aug. 2017
Robinson, a journeyman who was a first-round pick by the New Orleans Saints, has inside-outside ability.

— zach berman, Philly.com, "Eagles release veteran cornerback Ron Brooks," 30 Aug. 2017
Upgraded VIP Passport tickets go for $80 to $164 and include food, drinks, and the ability to skip any lines.

— lisa beebe, Los Angeles Magazine, "This Vegan Night Market Is the Stuff of Food Dreams, and You Need to Taste Everything," 29 Aug. 2017
The laundry list of Mother McAuley junior Nancy Kane's abilities is a pretty full one.

— tony baranek, Daily Southtown, "Nancy Kane more than able on block as Mother McAuley shuts down Sandburg," 29 Aug. 2017
But allowing debate everywhere could limit universities' abilities to keep protesters and counter-protesters separated – distance that can prevent violence, said Dan Tokaji, a law professor at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.

— jessie balmert, Cincinnati.com, "Post-Charlottesville, Ohio GOP wants to allow protests anywhere on campus," 29 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ability.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of ability

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

ability Synonyms

Synonyms

capability, capableness, capacity, competence, competency, faculty

Antonyms

disability, inability, incapability, incapableness, incapacity, incompetence, incompetency, ineptitude, ineptness

Near Antonyms

helplessness, impotence, paralysis, powerlessness, weakness; defectiveness, deficiency, inadequacy, inadequateness, ineffectiveness, ineffectuality, ineffectualness, inefficaciousness, inefficacy, uselessness; debilitation, disablement, impairment, incapacitation

-ability

noun suffix

variants: or less commonly -ibility

Definition of -ability

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

agglutinability

Origin and Etymology of -ability

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

ABILITY Defined for English Language Learners

-ability

noun suffix

Definition of -ability for English Language Learners

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

ABILITY Defined for Kids

ability

noun abil·i·ty \ ə-ˈbi-lə-tē \

Definition of ability for Students

plural abilities

1 :power to do something

The cleaner has the ability to kill germs.

2 :natural talent or acquired skill

great musical ability

Synonym Discussion of ability

ability and talent mean physical or mental power to do or accomplish something. ability may be used of an inborn power to do something especially well.