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ABILITY Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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View synonyms for ability

ability

1

[ uh-bil-i-tee ]

noun

plural abilities.
  1. power or capacity to do or act physically, mentally, legally, morally, financially, etc.

    Synonyms: expertness, dexterity, proficiency, capability

  2. competence in an activity or occupation because of one's skill, training, or other qualification:

    the ability to sing well.

  3. abilities, talents; special skills or aptitudes:

    Composing music is beyond his abilities.



-ability

2
  1. a combination of -able and -ity, found on nouns corresponding to adjectives ending in -able:

    capability.

ability

/ əˈbɪlɪtɪ /

noun

  1. possession of the qualities required to do something; necessary skill, competence, or power

    the ability to cope with a problem

  2. considerable proficiency; natural capability

    a man of ability

  3. plural special talents
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Words From

  • suba·bili·ty noun plural subabilities
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Word History and Origins

Origin of ability1

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (h)abilite, from Middle French, from Latin habilitās “aptitude,” equivalent to habili(s) “handy” ( able ) + -tās -ty 2; replacing Middle English ablete, from Old French, from Latin, as above

Origin of ability2

Middle English -abilite, from French -abilité, from Latin -ābilitās (inflectional stem -ābilitāt- )
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Word History and Origins

Origin of ability1

C14: from Old French from Latin habilitās aptitude, handiness, from habilis able
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Compare Meanings

How does ability compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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Synonym Study

Ability, faculty, talent denote qualifications or powers. Ability is a general word for power, native or acquired, enabling one to do things well: a person of great ability; ability in mathematics. Faculty denotes a natural ability for a particular kind of action: a faculty of saying what he means. Talent is often used to mean a native ability or aptitude in a special field: a talent for music or art.
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Example Sentences

OTT's station view function gives users the ability to see how their station ranks compared to others in Britain, giving detailed data on how delayed its trains tend to be and a performance score.

From BBC

“According to the complaint, diners were left with no ability to regain access to their accounts or money,” the statement from the FTC continued.

From Salon

"He always has time to chat with every little one and has the ability to charm even the littlest of children who may be a little shy of a big man in a red suit."

From BBC

During the campaign, Trumpov said several times that he would seek to deport pro-Palestinian protesters, which would be an obvious test of the new president's willingness and ability to challenge long-established First Amendment rights.

From Salon

Google's suggested remedies also call for the ability for partners to change their default search provider at least every 12 months.

From BBC

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