ca·pac·i·ty
kə-ˈpa-sə-tē 
-ˈpa-stē
plural capacities
1
: legal competency (see competence sense 1) or fitness
capacity to stand trial
2
a
: the potential or suitability for holding, storing, or accommodating
a large seating capacity
b
: the maximum amount or number that can be contained or accommodated
a jug with a one-gallon capacity
the auditorium was filled to capacity
see Metric System Table, Weights and Measures Table
3
5
: the facility or power to produce, perform, or deploy : capability
a plan to double the factory's capacity
also
: maximum output
industries running at three-quarter capacity
6
a
b
: the quantity of electricity that a battery can deliver under specified conditions
: equaling maximum capacity
a capacity crowd
Examples of capacity in a Sentence
Noun
The nightclub has a 1,000-person capacity.
a bottle with a capacity of two liters
Does he have the capacity to handle this job?
The disease causes a deterioration of breathing capacity.
He was acting in his capacity as judge.
serving in a supervisory capacity
Recent Examples on the Web
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024
Questions about the state’s rehab capacity also remain, if Proposition 36 works as intended and adds a flood of people into the treatment pipeline.
—Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
Mike Richard, Men's Health, 24 Nov. 2022
See all Example Sentences for capacity 
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Noun
No research is done on the island itself, but The Post and Courier explained that between 600 and 700 monkeys are typically removed every year and transported for use in various research capacities such as biomedical and vaccine research.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024
Questions about the state’s rehab capacity also remain, if Proposition 36 works as intended and adds a flood of people into the treatment pipeline.
—Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
This heavy-duty, super-capacity duffle is no exception.
—Mike Richard, Men's Health, 24 Nov. 2022
See all Example Sentences for capacity
Dictionary Entries Near capacity
Cite this Entry
“Capacity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capacity. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
capacity
noun
ca·pac·i·ty
kə-ˈpas-ət-ē, -ˈpas-tē
plural capacities
1
a
: the ability to hold, receive, store, or accommodate
b
: a measure of content : the measured ability to contain : volume
a beaker with a capacity of one liter
see vital capacity
c(1)
(2)
: the quantity of electricity that a battery can deliver under specified conditions
2
: legal qualification, competency, power, or fitness
3
a
: power to grasp and analyze ideas and cope with problems
b
: blended power, strength, and ability
encourage physical activity to the limit of the child's capacity—Morris Fishbein
Morris FishbeinLove words? Need even more definitions?
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