Ability
/əˈbɪlɪti/
nounBeginner🔥Very CommonCharacteristic
1 meaning1 question
Definitions
1
the power or skill to do something
/əˈbɪlɪti/
nounneutralBeginner
Characteristic
possession of the qualities or skills required to do something
She has a remarkable ability to learn new languages quickly.
💡 Simply: being able to do something
More Examples
2
Their ability to work together made the project a success.
3
His lack of ability in math held him back in school.
How It's Used
General
"His ability to focus on his work is impressive."
From Old French abilite, from Latin habilitas, from habilis 'easily handled, skillful' (see habile).
Historically, the term was often used to describe someone's skill or competence in a particular area.
Memory tip
Imagine someone having the ability to do magic tricks.
Word Origin
LanguageLatin
Original meaning
"habilis - skillful, easy to handle"
high level of abilitya distinct lack of ability
Common misspellings
abalityabilty
Practice
Usage
70%Spoken
30%Written