ability

noun

ə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce ability (audio)
Definition of abilitynext
as in capability
the physical or mental power to do something as a result of the accident the once-vigorous athlete lost the ability to walk

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ability The stealth nature and structure of the agreement in addition to the comments made by Caesars and Icahn strongly indicate that this is a very amicable arrangement, and that Icahn is confident in management’s ability. — Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2025 Increased and personalized long-term memory, in combination with the ability to act, is likely to create an illusion of vivid personalities in agents, even when that is not an explicit goal. — Jaron Lanier, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2025 Reducing the leaf blade by over one-third compromises a plant’s ability to make energy essential for life. — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Mar. 2025 With fewer staff to handle the millions of applications submitted each year, students could face longer wait times to receive their aid packages, potentially jeopardizing their ability to enroll in college on time. — Scott White, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ability
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ability
  1. capability
  2. capacity
  3. faculty
  4. skill
  5. talent
  6. aptitude
Noun
  • There are three core capabilities that contribute to the ability to influence decision-making and change, empowering you to leverage this powerful skill in your professional journey: 1.
    — Heather V. MacArthur, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
  • But judging episodic memory capabilities is more difficult when there’s a pretty obvious communication barrier between adults and a bunch of babies.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 21 Mar. 2025
Definition of capability
Noun
  • Multiple customers have praised the bag’s capacity in their reviews.
    — Taylor Jean Stephan, People.com, 15 Mar. 2025
  • The company continues to focus on expanding its production capacity and developing new products to meet market demand for high-performance semiconductor substrates.
    — Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of capacity
Noun
  • Juilliard faculty visit to give private lessons, too, but WHIN is the opposite of an elite arts hothouse for budding virtuosos; the school charges no tuition, admits students by lottery, holds no auditions, and treats music neither as a frill nor a career path but as a fundamental pedagogical tool.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 13 Mar. 2025
  • At Vanderbilt University, faculty were sent an email on February 6 instructing them to reduce graduate admissions by half across the board, according to Stat.
    — Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of faculty
Noun
  • In a video shared on Thursday, March 20, the Queen of Power Ballads showed off her golf skills, hitting a drive-off a tee during an outing with her sons René-Charles, Nelson and Eddy.
    — Marina Watts, People.com, 21 Mar. 2025
  • All four reports were critical of the more liberal education policies of the 1960s and 1970s – such as an emphasis on student feelings about race, for example, rather than a focus on basic skills.
    — Fred L. Pincus, The Conversation, 21 Mar. 2025
Definition of skill
Noun
  • The Sweden international’s talent has never been in question but those who have worked with the Newcastle striker describe a unique, complex personality — someone who is ridiculously driven, yet can be laid-back and withdrawn, all at once.
    — Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Just how far would two undiscovered Canadian musicians go to book a show at the Rivoli, a Toronto club (and sometime music venue) best known for helping to launch comedy talents like Kids in the Hall back in the day?
    — Peter Debruge, Variety, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of talent
Noun
  • This is different from notions of strengths and weaknesses, personality, aptitude or things like that.
    — Michael B. Horn, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
  • So having that mental aptitude to learn and pick up schemes could help a good and creative coach get a ton out of him.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2025
Definition of aptitude

Browse Nearby Words

abilities
ability
a bit
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ability.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ability. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ability

Nglish: Translation of ability for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ability

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