ability
Other forms: abilities
Ability is skill or talent. You might have the ability to blow bubbles, or sing in a falsetto, or dance the waltz. Or, just maybe, you have the ability to do all three things at once. Impressive!
From the Old French ablate "expert at handling (something)," and that from the Latin habilitatem, "aptitude," comes the English ability, a noun indicating the power to act, perform, or accomplish. Capacity is similar in meaning to ability, but note that people have a capacity for doing something, and an ability to do something.
Definitions of ability
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the quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishment
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types:
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adaptability
the ability to change (or be changed) to fit changed circumstances
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sensitiveness, sensitivity
the ability to respond to affective changes in your interpersonal environment
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competence, competency
the quality of being adequately or well qualified physically and intellectually
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form
an ability to perform well
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interoperability
(computer science) the ability to exchange and use information (usually in a large heterogeneous network made up of several local area networks)
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magical ability, magical power
an ability to perform magic
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Midas touch
an ability to make and manage large amounts of money
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penetration
the ability to make way into or through something
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physical ability
the ability to perform some physical act; contrasting with mental ability
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contractility
the capability or quality of shrinking or contracting, especially by muscle fibers and even some other forms of living matter
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capability, capableness
the quality of being capable -- physically or intellectually or legally
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totipotence, totipotency
the ability of a cell to give rise to unlike cells and so to develop a new organism or part
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immunocompetence
the ability to develop an immune response following exposure to an antigen
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flexibility, flexibleness
the quality of being adaptable or variable
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malleability, pliability, pliancy, pliantness, suppleness
adaptability of mind or character
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associability, associableness
the capability of being easily associated or joined or connected in thought
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antenna, feeler
sensitivity similar to that of a receptor organ
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defensiveness
excessive sensitivity to criticism
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perceptiveness
the quality of insight and sympathetic understanding
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fitness
the quality of being qualified
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linguistic competence
(linguistics) a speaker's implicit, internalized knowledge of the rules of their language (contrasted with linguistic performance)
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proficiency
the quality of having great facility and competence
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lycanthropy
(folklore) the magical ability of a person to assume the characteristics of a wolf
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astringency, stypsis
the ability to contract or draw together soft body tissues to check blood flow or restrict secretion of fluids
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voice
the ability to speak
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defensibility
capability of being defended
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executability
capability of being executed
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capacity
capability to perform or produce
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military capability, military posture, military strength, posture, strength
capability in terms of personnel and materiel that affect the capacity to fight a war
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operating capability, performance capability
the capability of a technological system to perform as intended
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overkill
the capability to obliterate a target with more weapons (especially nuclear weapons) than are required
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type of:
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quality
an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone
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possession of the qualities (especially mental qualities) required to do something or get something done
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synonyms:
power
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Antonyms:
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inability
lack of ability (especially mental ability) to do something
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types:
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know-how
the (technical) knowledge and skill required to do something
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leadership
the ability to lead
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intelligence
the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience
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aptitude
inherent ability
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bilingualism
the ability to speak two languages colloquially
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capacity, mental ability
the power to learn or retain knowledge; in law, the ability to understand the facts and significance of your behavior
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creative thinking, creativeness, creativity
the ability to create
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originality
the ability to think and act independently
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science, skill
ability to produce solutions in some problem domain
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accomplishment, acquirement, acquisition, attainment, skill
an ability that has been acquired by training
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hand
ability
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superior skill
more than ordinary ability
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faculty, mental faculty, module
one of the inherent cognitive or perceptual powers of the mind
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bag of tricks
a supply of ways of accomplishing something
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sapience, wisdom
ability to apply knowledge or experience or understanding or common sense and insight
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generalship
the leadership ability of a military general
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brain, brainpower, learning ability, mental capacity, mentality, wit
mental ability
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breadth, comprehensiveness, largeness
the capacity to understand a broad range of topics
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intellect, mind
knowledge and intellectual ability
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nonverbal intelligence
intelligence that is manifested in the performance of tasks requiring little or no use of language
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verbal intelligence
intelligence in the use and comprehension of language
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mental quickness, quick-wittedness, quickness
intelligence as revealed by an ability to give correct responses without delay
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mental dexterity, nimbleness
intelligence as revealed by quickness and alertness of mind
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brilliance, genius
unusual mental ability
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precociousness, precocity
intelligence achieved far ahead of normal developmental schedules
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acuity, acuteness, keenness, sharpness
a quick and penetrating intelligence
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brightness, cleverness, smartness
intelligence as manifested in being quick and witty
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astuteness, perspicaciousness, perspicacity, shrewdness
intelligence manifested by being astute (as in business dealings)
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marbles, wits
the basic human power of intelligent thought and perception
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inherent aptitude, instinct
inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli
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capability, capableness, potentiality
an aptitude that may be developed
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natural ability
ability that is inherited
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fecundity, fruitfulness
the intellectual productivity of a creative imagination
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flight
passing above and beyond ordinary bounds
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genius, wizardry
exceptional creative ability
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imagination, imaginativeness, vision
the formation of a mental image of something that is not perceived as real and is not present to the senses
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conception, design, excogitation, innovation, invention
the creation of something in the mind
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cleverness, ingeniousness, ingenuity, inventiveness
the power of creative imagination
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innovativeness
originality by virtue of introducing new ideas
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unconventionality
originality by virtue of being unconventional
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freshness, novelty
originality by virtue of being new and surprising
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nose
a natural skill
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virtuosity
technical skill or fluency or style exhibited by a virtuoso
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craft, craftsmanship, workmanship
skill in an occupation or trade
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horsemanship
skill in handling and riding horses
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literacy
the ability to read and write
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marksmanship
skill in shooting
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mastership
the skill of a master
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mixology
skill in preparing mixed drinks
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art, artistry, prowess
a superior skill that you can learn by study and practice and observation
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numeracy
skill with numbers and mathematics
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oarsmanship
skill as an oarsman
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salesmanship
skill in selling; skill in persuading people to buy
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seamanship
skill in sailing
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showmanship
the ability to present something (especially theatrical shows) in an attractive manner
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soldiering, soldiership
skills that are required for the life of soldier
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swordsmanship
skill in fencing
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attention
the faculty or power of mental concentration
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language, speech
the mental faculty or power of vocal communication
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memory, retention, retentiveness, retentivity
the power of retaining and recalling past experience
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intellect, reason, understanding
the capacity for rational thought or inference or discrimination
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sensation, sense, sensory faculty, sentience, sentiency
the faculty through which the external world is apprehended
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volition, will
the capability of conscious choice and decision and intention
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method
a way of doing something, especially a systematic way; implies an orderly logical arrangement (usually in steps)
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prescience, prevision
the power to foresee the future
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inability
Pronunciation
US
/əˈbɪlədi/
UK
/əˈbɪlɪti/
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