as in capability
the physical or mental power to do something
as a result of the accident the once-vigorous athlete lost the ability to walk
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ability
People lost the ability to casually interact with others without considering the risk of infection and adopted new daily rituals such as masking and social distancing.
—
Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 5 Sep. 2025
For the first stretch of Erupcja, Charli almost dissolves into the screen, not like an outsize personality who’s dressing down for a part, but like someone who isn’t able to repurpose her considerable ability to hold our attention — or to give us any sense of what’s on her character’s mind.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
At 6 feet and blessed with great athletic ability, Moore was a matchup nightmare.
—Doug Feinberg, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
As Wednesday continues with her reckless use of her psychic abilities, the matriarch of the Addams Family is also trying to stop history from repeating itself, which could see Wednesday face a similar fate to Morticia’s sister, Ophelia Frump.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ability
Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 5 Sep. 2025
For the first stretch of Erupcja, Charli almost dissolves into the screen, not like an outsize personality who’s dressing down for a part, but like someone who isn’t able to repurpose her considerable ability to hold our attention — or to give us any sense of what’s on her character’s mind.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
At 6 feet and blessed with great athletic ability, Moore was a matchup nightmare.
—Doug Feinberg, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
As Wednesday continues with her reckless use of her psychic abilities, the matriarch of the Addams Family is also trying to stop history from repeating itself, which could see Wednesday face a similar fate to Morticia’s sister, Ophelia Frump.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ability
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ability
Noun
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Unmanned Aerial Systems with thermal imaging and infrared capability are in use and night-capable aircraft are available to support crews overnight if needed and as conditions permit.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Subsequently, Army units performed new equipment training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma to prepare for potential employment of DE capabilities.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The restaurant has the option to use the lobby for seating, increasing its capacity.—
La Risa R. Lynch,
jsonline.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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It’s meant to be as small and unobtrusive as possible, while still offering 80% of the capacity of the company’s larger models like the Big+Quiet.—
Andrew Gebhart,
PC Magazine,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Planning ahead and recognizing risks are important for students, faculty, and administrators.—
Tanya Mohn,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Green, who curated this traveling exhibition that opened in Atlanta in 2019, has worked as a casting director for Walt Disney World in Orlando and served on the faculty of the UC Irvine and Spelman College.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Martin’s energy onstage always skyrockets and his performance skills are undiminished.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
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Alfons Freij is a mobile defenceman with enough puck skill to impress, but whose decision-making needs improvement before being considered an NHL player.—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Leeds are tipped to survive the drop after adding Premier League experience and European talent to their ranks.—
Jack Bantock,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
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Bhutia is part of India's digital growth story that is creating entrepreneurs, drawing investments, and attracting global tech giants, fueled in large part by a gigantic talent pool and tech userbase.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Herbert’s top-10 aptitude would’ve exposed Olave to fewer dangerous hits.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Sep. 2025
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This leads him to discover an unexpected aptitude for cracking safes, turning his life upside down.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ability.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ability. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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