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 United States nuclear-capable bomber fleet saw its capabilities bolstered when a B-2 stealth aircraft—the same type used to strike Iran in June—that was significantly damaged in an incident four years ago returned to flight duties last month after repairs.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Ryan Castilloux managing director of Adamas Intelligence The European region currently imports nearly all of its rare earth magnets from China, although Suleman expects Neo’s Narva facility to be capable of fulfilling around 10% of that demand.
—Sam Meredith,christopher Kang, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2025
Withstanding powerful external pressure After the tests, engineers found that the interior of the car remained undamaged, which proves that the vehicle is capable of withstanding powerful external pressure and can keep passengers safe from such external threats.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 4 Dec. 2025
However, since the retirement of NASA's space shuttle fleet in 2011, SpaceX has been the only American organization capable of flying people to and from orbit — a point that Isaacman made on Wednesday, stressing that going with Musk's company was not a sign of favoritism.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for capable
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Ryan Castilloux managing director of Adamas Intelligence The European region currently imports nearly all of its rare earth magnets from China, although Suleman expects Neo’s Narva facility to be capable of fulfilling around 10% of that demand.
—Sam Meredith,christopher Kang, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2025
Withstanding powerful external pressure After the tests, engineers found that the interior of the car remained undamaged, which proves that the vehicle is capable of withstanding powerful external pressure and can keep passengers safe from such external threats.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 4 Dec. 2025
However, since the retirement of NASA's space shuttle fleet in 2011, SpaceX has been the only American organization capable of flying people to and from orbit — a point that Isaacman made on Wednesday, stressing that going with Musk's company was not a sign of favoritism.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 4 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 6 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share