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

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

capableness

ˈkā-pə-bəl-nəs 

noun

capably

ˈkā-pə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms

• suitable
• qualified
• competent
• able

Examples of capable in a Sentence

a capable and efficient editor

Recent Examples on the Web

In their wins against Arsenal in the UCL semis and Inter Milan in the final, this young, balanced roster looked capable of piling up several trophies in the years to come. —Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025

So Bay Area rids itself of a capable player to have to immediately use an on-site sub. —Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025

Those engines are capable of running on diesel, kerosene or jet-A fuel. —Ben Coxworth july 07, New Atlas, 7 July 2025

Research efforts to find answers to these forecasting questions could soon slip backwards, experts warn, if the Trump administration’s 2026 budget proposal is enacted — just as the country needs to push the limits on what weather models are capable of. —Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 6 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French capable, from Late Latin capabilis, irregular from Latin capere to take — more at heave entry 1

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for capable

• incapable
• inescapable

Kids 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

ˌkā-pə-ˈbil-ət-ē

noun

capably

ˈkā-pə-blē 

adverb