ability

abil·i·ty | \ ə-ˈbi-lə-tē

plural abilities

Definition of ability

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

noun suffix

variants: or less commonly -ibility

Definition of -ability (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about ability

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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 When breaking news happens, the show will have the ability to go past three hours. — Lillian Rizzo, WSJ, "WGN America Enters Cable-TV News Arena, Promising No Opinions," 15 Jan. 2020 Donald Trump did not have the ability to take over the party by himself. — NBC News, "Never Trumper group expands to take aim at vulnerable allies of the president," 14 Jan. 2020 While a full-time job comes with certain outlined tasks, there are always new projects and experiences to jump on that can enhance your abilities and career. — Sarah Fielding, Fortune, "How Freelancing Can Help Your Career," 13 Jan. 2020 Playing along side her sister, senior Alexa, Maffeo’s defensive ability and hockey awareness have paved the way for the Bulldogs’ torrid start. — Dan Shulman, BostonGlobe.com, "Canton’s Olivia Maffeo overpowers Waltham in girls’ hockey," 11 Jan. 2020 This tool could allow an individual the ability to trial and error their way through a level, and then release a perfect run to anyone on the Internet that also wishes to 'beat' a level. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Inside TASBot’s semi-secret, probably legal effort to control the Nintendo Switch," 11 Jan. 2020 This hand type signifies intellectually curious individuals with innate analytical abilities and communication skills. — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, "A Beginner's Guide to Reading Palms," 3 Jan. 2020 Under that system, users have the ability to cut off the data stream that fuels the targeted ad economy at the source. — Los Angeles Times, "It’s 2020 and you have new privacy rights online. But you might have to show ID," 1 Jan. 2020 But Zimba points to Zambia’s history with nephrology: As recently as 2004, the nation didn’t have the ability to perform dialysis for diabetes patients with failing kidneys, and patients who could afford it were sent to India. — Oliver Staley, Quartz Africa, "Zambia has 17 million people, a stroke epidemic, and no neurologists," 30 Dec. 2019

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.

History and Etymology for ability

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

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