Definitions for ability
əˈbɪl ɪ tiabil·i·ty

Princeton's WordNet(3.86 / 13 votes)Rate this definition:

1. ability(noun)

   the quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishment

2. ability, power(noun)

   possession of the qualities (especially mental qualities) required to do something or get something done

   "danger heightened his powers of discrimination"

Wiktionary(3.60 / 10 votes)Rate this definition:

1. ability(Noun)

   The quality or state of being able.

   Etymology: * First attested from before 1398.

2. ability(Noun)

   A skill or competence in doing.

   Etymology: * First attested from before 1398.

3. ability(Noun)

   A high level of skill or competence.

   Etymology: * First attested from before 1398.

4. ability(Noun)

   Physical, mental or legal power to perform.

   Etymology: * First attested from before 1398.

5. ability(Noun)

   Aptitude.

   Etymology: * First attested from before 1398.

Webster Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Ability(noun)

   the quality or state of being able; power to perform, whether physical, moral, intellectual, conventional, or legal; capacity; skill or competence in doing; sufficiency of strength, skill, resources, etc.; -- in the plural, faculty, talent

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Ability

   a-bil′i-ti, n. quality of being able: power: strength: skill.—n.pl. Abil′ities, the powers of the mind. [O. Fr. ableté (Fr. habileté)—L. habilitas—habilis, easily handled, from habēre, to have, hold. See Able.]

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. ability

   The feeling, understanding, power and knowing of being able.

   We are all able to do various tasks in life.

   Submitted by MaryC on January 25, 2020  

2. ability

   The quality of being able.

   She was ableto do anything her heart desires.

   Submitted by MaryC on January 15, 2020  

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'ability' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1104

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'ability' in Written Corpus Frequency: #1688

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'ability' in Nouns Frequency: #422

How to pronounce ability?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say ability in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of ability in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of ability in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of ability in a Sentence

1. Abraham Maslow:

   The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.

2. Mickey Mehta:

   What seems ninety nine percent impossible through the prism of your mind, seems absolutely possible through your soul's eyes. Minds have learnt to doubt even your own ability while our souls know simply how to trust. Dissolve your mind if you must, open up to all possibilities through your soul's eyes, MickeyMize.

3. State John Kerry:

   President Obama has made a very strong and forceful and simple decision entirely in keeping with his originally stated policy that we must defeat and destroy Daesh, it is not a decision to enter into Syria's civil war. It is not an action focused on (Syrian President Bashar) Assad, it focused exclusively on Daesh and in augmenting our ability to rapidly attack Daesh.

4. Chief Financial Officer George Davis:

   Demand has just outstripped our ability to add capacity, in some ways it's a good problem to have, but anytime you can't satisfy your customers, that's not a good outcome.

5. Eric Gibson:

   What I would really like to happen is for them not to infringe upon my fathers freedom of expression and speech and allow him to bring in the lifesize cardboard cutout that takes up less service area than a garbage can, while we cannot discuss any specific individual, we strongly support the ability of all our patients to express their views, which includes bringing reasonably sized items into our dialysis centers that do not create safety or infection control issues, or interfere with caregivers on the treatment floor.

Images & Illustrations of ability

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