capable

adjective

ca·pa·ble | \ ˈkā-pə-bəl

, in rapid speech ˈkāp-bəl\

Definition of capable

1 : susceptible a remark capable of being misunderstood

2 obsolete : comprehensive

3 : having attributes (such as physical or mental power) required for performance or accomplishment is capable of intense concentration

4 : having traits conducive to or features permitting something this woman is capable of murder by violence— Robert Graves

5 : having legal right to own, enjoy, or perform of my land … to make thee capable— Shakespeare

6 : having or showing general efficiency and ability a capable lawyer a capable performance

Other Words from capable Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about capable

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Examples of capable in a Sentence

a capable and efficient editor

Recent Examples on the Web

The result is the only love story Rowling’s ever written that’s capable of bearing the weight of a plot on its back, and in some ways the most romantic book she’s written yet. — Constance Grady, Vox, "J.K. Rowling’s latest Robert Galbraith novel is addictive, murderous fun," 18 Sep. 2018 But Bethea uttered with his next breath that this kind of victory shows what Beach is capable of, too. — Tj Cotterill, The Seattle Times, "Rainier Beach holds off Ingraham to win SeaKing District boys championship," 18 Feb. 2019 By using the most precise equipment ever manufactured, including the largest vacuum chamber and most polished mirrors in the world, LIGO astronomers are capable of picking up some of these minuscule vibrations. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "LIGO Gravitational Wave Observatory Getting $30 Million Upgrade," 15 Feb. 2019 The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and health maintenance. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "What Is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, and Should You See One?," 6 Feb. 2019 Fraxel Lasers like the Fraxel Restore Dual remain workhorses for ravaged skin, but new research is proving that these old tools are capable of new tricks. — Lindsay Silberman, Town & Country, "How to Reverse Sun Damage, According to Dermatologists," 16 Jan. 2019 Consisting of three Falcon 9 cores strapped together, the Falcon Heavy is capable of putting more weight into low Earth orbit than any other rocket currently in operation. — Loren Grush, The Verge, "The Verge 2018 tech report card: SpaceX," 29 Dec. 2018 But until recently, the company was only capable of launching the same vehicle up to two times to space — hardly enough to really capitalize on the whole reusability thing. — Loren Grush, The Verge, "The Verge 2018 tech report card: SpaceX," 29 Dec. 2018 The tabletop device is also capable of doing instant blood analyses like white blood cell counts and hemoglobin measurements, which could mean blood samples don’t need to be sent away to a lab. — Emily Matchar, Smithsonian, "A Robot May One Day Draw Your Blood," 13 July 2018

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