capability

noun

ca·​pa·​bil·​i·​ty ˌkā-pə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

plural capabilities

1

: the quality or state of being capable

also : ability

The mayor has demonstrated his capability to handle municipal problems.

2

: a feature or faculty capable of development : potentiality

This vacant urban district has great capabilities.

3

: the facility or potential for an indicated use or deployment

the capability of a metal to be fused

nuclear capability

Synonyms of capability

• qualification
• ability
• expertise
• talent
• stuff

Examples of capability in a Sentence

The device has the capability of recording two television channels at once.

the nature of the tasks to which you are assigned will depend on your capabilities

Recent Examples on the Web

The company has set up joint labs in Singapore with local agencies to develop capabilities on the ground. —Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 7 Feb. 2026

The Gates Foundation and OpenAI have launched a $50 million program to bring AI capabilities to 1,000 primary health care clinics across Africa. —Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026

Russian forces have consequently lost command-and-control capabilities and navigation for drones, and assaults have stopped in many sectors, according to Fedorov's adviser Serhii Beskrestnov. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 6 Feb. 2026

Following the acquisition, PSM will make significant resource and financial investments in Score90’s digital production capabilities, with a particular focus on long-form content production, real-life video content, enhanced storytelling and new digital experiences for the Score90 community. —Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 6 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing capability

• nuclear capability

Rhymes for capability

• affability
• audibility
• bistability
• changeability
• contractility
• credibility
• culpability
• disability
• disutility
• durability
• fallibility
• feasibility