ability

1 of 2

noun

abil·​i·​ty ə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce ability (audio)
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

-ability

2 of 2

noun suffix

variants or less commonly -ibility
: capacity, fitness, or tendency to act or be acted on in a (specified) way
agglutinability

Examples of ability in a Sentence

Noun 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 on the Web
Noun
Gauff has a unique ability to draw energy from a crowd, and they from her. Abby Aguirre, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2024 Members of the medical team are required to attend at least 10 training sessions each year, although officials have the ability to revise that number. Bill Chappell, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 This swing also has a unique ability to provide a sense of calm. Laura Lu, Ms, Parents, 6 Mar. 2024 The left’s politics of outrage can further erode public support and confidence in its ability to govern. Elisabeth Zerofsky, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 But after that, not playing to the best of my abilities. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 Many users were reporting being logged out of Facebook accounts with no ability to log back in. Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024 The Panthers shouldn’t just bend to Burns’ demands, but the front office also needs to be mindful that Burns is a top-three player on the team, and his cap number could put a stranglehold on their ability to upgrade multiple positions if the tag lingers into free agency. Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2024 For Apple, which is desperate to maintain its ability to take a fat cut of all in-app transactions on iOS, almost everything about the DMA is just so unfair. David Meyer, Fortune Europe, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ability.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

Noun suffix

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

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of ability was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near ability

Cite this Entry

“Ability.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ability. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ability

1 of 2 noun
abil·​i·​ty ə-ˈbil-ət-ē How to pronounce ability (audio)
plural abilities
1
a
: the quality or state of being able : power to do something
b
: competence in doing : skill
2
: natural or learned skill

-ability

2 of 2 noun suffix
-abil·​i·​ty
variants also -ibility
ə-ˈbil-ət-ē
plural -ties
: ability, fitness, or likeliness to act or be acted on in (such) a way
readability
Etymology

Noun suffix

derived from Latin -abilitas, -ibilitas "-ability"

More from Merriam-Webster on ability

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