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ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

ability.

Suitableness.

7 characters4 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/əˈbɪl.ə.ti//əˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/
  1. Suitableness.

    countable · obsolete · uncountable
  2. The quality or state of being able; capacity to do or of doing something; having the necessary power.

    uncountable
    This phone has the ability to have its software upgraded wirelessly.
    This wood has the ability to fight off insects, fungus, and mold for a considerable time.
  3. The legal wherewithal to act.

    countable · uncountable
  4. Physical power.

    countable · uncountable
  5. Financial ability.

    archaic · countable · uncountable
  6. A unique power of the mind; a faculty.

    uncountable
  7. A skill or competence in doing; mental power; talent; aptitude.

    countable
    a mixed-ability class
    They are persons of ability, who will go far in life.
Where this word comes from

First attested in the 1300s. From Middle English abilite (“suitability, aptitude, ability”), from Old French ableté, from Latin habilitās (“aptness, ability”), from habilis (“apt, fit, skillful, able”); equivalent to able + -ity.

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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.