ability

noun abil·i·ty \ ə-ˈbi-lə-tē \

Updated on: 28 Nov 2017

Definition of ability

plural abilities

1 a : the quality or state of being able

the ability of the soil to hold water

; especially : physical, mental, or legal power to do something

a writer's ability to engage the reader's interest

did the work to the best of her ability [=as well as she could]

b : competence in doing something : skill

artistic abilities

2 : natural aptitude or acquired proficiency

students with different abilities

See ability defined for English-language learners

See ability defined for kids

Examples of ability in a Sentence

a young woman with many remarkable musical abilities
a young woman of great musical ability
She has shown some ability with foreign languages.

Recent Examples of ability from the Web

At its core, according to Kerwin Olson with the Citizens Action Coalition advocacy group, Indiana's new law removes customers' choice and their ability to be more self-sufficient.

— emily hopkins, Indianapolis Star, "New Indiana solar law could cripple small businesses and customer savings," 5 Nov. 2017
Getting hydration and calories into him with a tube was often a four-person job at first, Long said, but his ability to suckle from a bottle has improved.

— marc lester, Alaska Dispatch News, "The tale of a rescued Cook Inlet beluga whale," 5 Nov. 2017
Bridging this divide will require citizens to do what Twitter, Google, and Facebook are now attempting to do: realize their ability to perceive the truth and practice the virtues of civil discourse.

— The Christian Science Monitor, "Social media shine a light on themselves," 4 Nov. 2017
Here, Trump's anti-democratic statements have undermined his own Department of Justice, imperiling their ability—especially if its lawyers indeed opt to try for a capital conviction—to prosecute a man who just killed eight people.

— jay willis, GQ, "Why Does Donald Trump Want the Death Penalty for the New York Attack, But Not for Others? [Updated]," 3 Nov. 2017
In the letter, Ricketts praised the publications' success, noting their ability to reach millions of fans through social media and email newsletters.

— lauren meltzer, CBS News, "CEO shuts down DNAinfo, Gothamist news sites after union vote," 3 Nov. 2017
Thanks to the suspension upgrades and larger tires similar to the AEV’s, the race truck also sported increased approach and departure angles that theoretically would improve the base ZR2’s already impressive rock-crawling ability.

— mike sutton, Car and Driver, "The Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 AEV Concept Is Seriously Hard Core—and Chevy Might Build It," 1 Nov. 2017
Owning lidar development in-house could allow the Argo team to work more closely to integrate its abilities into the autonomous vehicle software.

— tim higgins, WSJ, "Ford’s Argo Buys Laser System Firm as It Boosts Driverless Car Development," 27 Oct. 2017
Using the synthesizer’s ability to mimic nearly any instrument, Eggleston employs the cadence of organs, strings, and woodwinds to create a tapestry of sounds that rise and crash between grandeur and cloudy introspection.

— zack ruskin, Vanities, "At 78, Photographer William Eggleston Reveals a Brand-New Talent," 20 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ability.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of ability

Middle English ablete, abilite, habilite "suitability, proficiency, ability," borrowed from Anglo-French abilité, borrowed from Latin habilitāt-, habilitās "aptitude," from habilis "easy to handle, adaptable, fit" + -tāt-, -tās -ty — more at able

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

ability Synonyms

Synonyms

capability, capableness, capacity, competence, competency, faculty

Antonyms

disability, inability, incapability, incapableness, incapacity, incompetence, incompetency, ineptitude, ineptness

Near Antonyms

helplessness, impotence, paralysis, powerlessness, weakness; defectiveness, deficiency, inadequacy, inadequateness, ineffectiveness, ineffectuality, ineffectualness, inefficaciousness, inefficacy, uselessness; debilitation, disablement, impairment, incapacitation

-ability

noun suffix

variants: or less commonly -ibility

Definition of -ability

: capacity, fitness, or tendency to act or be acted on in a (specified) way

agglutinability

Origin and Etymology of -ability

Middle English -ablete, -abilite, -iblete, -ibilite, borrowed from Anglo-French -ableté, -abilité, -ibleté, -ibilité, borrowed from Latin -abilitās, -ibilitās, from -abilis, -ibilis -able + -tās -ty

ABILITY Defined for English Language Learners

-ability

noun suffix

Definition of -ability for English Language Learners

: ability, fitness, or likeliness to act or be acted on in (such) a way

ABILITY Defined for Kids

ability

noun abil·i·ty \ ə-ˈbi-lə-tē \

Definition of ability for Students

plural abilities

1 : power to do something

The cleaner has the ability to kill germs.

2 : natural talent or acquired skill

great musical ability

Synonym Discussion of ability

ability and talent mean physical or mental power to do or accomplish something. ability may be used of an inborn power to do something especially well.