capable
adjective
ca·pa·ble
ˈkā-pə-bəl 
in rapid speech ˈkāp-bəl
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
Robert Graves5
: having legal right to own, enjoy, or perform
… of my land … I'll work the means / To make thee capable.—William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare6
: having or showing general efficiency and ability
a capable lawyer
a capable performance
Examples of capable in a Sentence
a capable and efficient editor
Recent Examples on the Web
The system forms a 1,243-mile-wide pool of computing power capable of achieving 98 percent of the efficiency of a single data center, Liu Yunjie, chief director of the project and a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, told the state publication.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Dec. 2025
The Iron Beam is a laser capable of knocking out incoming missiles, mortar rounds and drones up to 6 miles away for as little as $2 per interception.
—William La Jeunesse , Yael Rotem-Kuriel, FOXNews.com, 11 Dec. 2025
In January, Chinese company DeepSeek released its R1 model demonstrating that companies can build highly capable models without top-tier chips, a reminder that cheap and adaptable models may spread fastest globally.
—Eric Schmidt, Time, 11 Dec. 2025
According to an Air Force fact sheet, each B-52H bomber has a maximum payload of 70,000 pounds and is capable of carrying up to 20 standoff weapons—designed to be fired from outside enemy defenses—such as the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for capable
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Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Dec. 2025
The Iron Beam is a laser capable of knocking out incoming missiles, mortar rounds and drones up to 6 miles away for as little as $2 per interception.
—William La Jeunesse , Yael Rotem-Kuriel, FOXNews.com, 11 Dec. 2025
In January, Chinese company DeepSeek released its R1 model demonstrating that companies can build highly capable models without top-tier chips, a reminder that cheap and adaptable models may spread fastest globally.
—Eric Schmidt, Time, 11 Dec. 2025
According to an Air Force fact sheet, each B-52H bomber has a maximum payload of 70,000 pounds and is capable of carrying up to 20 standoff weapons—designed to be fired from outside enemy defenses—such as the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for capable
Cite this Entry
“Capable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capable. Accessed 14 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
capable
adjective
ca·pa·ble
ˈkā-pə-bəl
1
: having the qualities (as physical or mental power) to do or accomplish something
you are capable of better work
2
: having qualities or features permitting
a new train capable of very high speeds
3
: able to do one's job well : generally efficient
tries to hire capable people
capability
noun
ˌkā-pə-ˈbil-ət-ē
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