ability
Other forms: abilities
Ability is skill or talent. You might have the ability to blow bubbles, or sing in a falsetto, or dance the waltz. Or, just maybe, you have the ability to do all three things at once. Impressive!
From the Old French ablate "expert at handling (something)," and that from the Latin habilitatem, "aptitude," comes the English ability, a noun indicating the power to act, perform, or accomplish. Capacity is similar in meaning to ability, but note that people have a capacity for doing something, and an ability to do something.
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the quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishmentantonyms:inabilitylacking the power to performtypes:adaptabilitythe ability to change (or be changed) to fit changed circumstancessensitiveness, sensitivitythe ability to respond to affective changes in your interpersonal environmentcompetence, competencythe quality of being adequately or well qualified physically and intellectuallyforman ability to perform wellinteroperability(computer science) the ability to exchange and use information (usually in a large heterogeneous network made up of several local area networks)Midas touchan ability to make and manage large amounts of moneypenetrationthe ability to make way into or through somethingphysical abilitythe ability to perform some physical act; contrasting with mental abilitycontractilitythe capability or quality of shrinking or contracting, especially by muscle fibers and even some other forms of living mattertotipotence, totipotencythe ability of a cell to give rise to unlike cells and so to develop a new organism or partimmunocompetencethe ability to develop an immune response following exposure to an antigenassociability, associablenessthe capability of being easily associated or joined or connected in thoughtdefensivenessexcessive sensitivity to criticismperceptivenessthe quality of insight and sympathetic understandingfitnessthe quality of being qualifiedlinguistic competence(linguistics) a speaker's implicit, internalized knowledge of the rules of their language (contrasted with linguistic performance)proficiencythe quality of having great facility and competencelycanthropy(folklore) the magical ability of a person to assume the characteristics of a wolfastringency, stypsisthe ability to contract or draw together soft body tissues to check blood flow or restrict secretion of fluidsvoicethe ability to speakdefensibilitycapability of being defendedexecutabilitycapability of being executedcapacitycapability to perform or producemilitary capability, military posture, military strength, posture, strengthcapability in terms of personnel and materiel that affect the capacity to fight a waroperating capability, performance capabilitythe capability of a technological system to perform as intendedoverkillthe capability to obliterate a target with more weapons (especially nuclear weapons) than are requiredtype of:qualityan essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone
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possession of the qualities (especially mental qualities) required to do something or get something donesynonyms: powerantonyms:inabilitylack of ability (especially mental ability) to do somethingtypes:know-howthe (technical) knowledge and skill required to do somethingleadershipthe ability to leadintelligencethe ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experienceaptitudeinherent abilitybilingualismthe ability to speak two languages colloquiallycapacity, mental abilitythe power to learn or retain knowledge; in law, the ability to understand the facts and significance of your behaviororiginalitythe ability to think and act independentlyaccomplishment, acquirement, acquisition, attainment, skillan ability that has been acquired by traininghandabilitysuperior skillmore than ordinary abilitybag of tricksa supply of ways of accomplishing somethingsapience, wisdomability to apply knowledge or experience or understanding or common sense and insightgeneralshipthe leadership ability of a military generalnonverbal intelligenceintelligence that is manifested in the performance of tasks requiring little or no use of languageverbal intelligenceintelligence in the use and comprehension of languagemental quickness, quick-wittedness, quicknessintelligence as revealed by an ability to give correct responses without delayastuteness, perspicaciousness, perspicacity, shrewdnessintelligence manifested by being astute (as in business dealings)natural abilityability that is inheritedflightpassing above and beyond ordinary boundsimagination, imaginativeness, visionthe formation of a mental image of something that is not perceived as real and is not present to the sensesinnovativenessoriginality by virtue of introducing new ideasunconventionalityoriginality by virtue of being unconventionalnosea natural skillvirtuositytechnical skill or fluency or style exhibited by a virtuosohorsemanshipskill in handling and riding horsesliteracythe ability to read and writemarksmanshipskill in shootingmastershipthe skill of a mastermixologyskill in preparing mixed drinksnumeracyskill with numbers and mathematicsoarsmanshipskill as an oarsmansalesmanshipskill in selling; skill in persuading people to buyseamanshipskill in sailingshowmanshipthe ability to present something (especially theatrical shows) in an attractive mannerswordsmanshipskill in fencingattentionthe faculty or power of mental concentrationsensation, sense, sensory faculty, sentience, sentiencythe faculty through which the external world is apprehendedmethoda way of doing something, especially a systematic way; implies an orderly logical arrangement (usually in steps)
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Vocabulary lists containing ability
Learn these words from the magazine article by Arlene Erlbach (Inside: Level B, Unit 1). Here are our links to the selections of "Imagine the Possibilities" : Hitching a Ride, Crittercam to the Rescue, LAFFF, Kids Are Inventors, Too, Inventing to Solve a Problem, The Evolution of a Great Idea Here are our links to the units of Level B: Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5, Unit 6, Unit 7, Unit 8 Here are our links to the Inside books: Level A, Level B, Level C Here is our link to a list of academic vocabulary for Inside: Academic Vocabulary
This list focuses on career planning and development (Unit 2, Chapter 9). Here are links to all the chapters of Unit 2, Business Organization and Management: Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9 Here are links to all the units of the business textbook published by South-Western Cengage Learning: Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4