Capacity

/kəˈpæsɪti/

nounBeginner🔥Very CommonMeasurement
2 meanings2 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

The amount a container can hold; the ability to do something.

/kəˈpæsɪti/

nounneutralBeginner
Measurement

The maximum amount that something can contain.

The stadium has a seating capacity of 50,000.

💡 Simply: How much something can hold or do.

More Examples

2

She has the capacity to learn quickly.

How It's Used

Physics

"The tank has a capacity of 100 liters."

Engineering

"The bridge's load-bearing capacity is critical."

2

The power or ability to learn or achieve something.

/kəˈpæsɪti/

nounneutralIntermediate
Mental Ability

Mental or intellectual ability.

The child showed amazing capacity for language acquisition.

💡 Simply: The ability to do or learn something.

More Examples

2

The company has a large production capacity.

How It's Used

Psychology

"He demonstrated remarkable capacity for critical thinking."

Tip:Think of 'capable' again – capacity refers to the potential for achievement.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

From Latin *capacitas, from capax "capable, spacious"

Historically, the word 'capacity' has been used in legal contexts to refer to legal competency.

Memory tip

Think of 'capable' - capacity is about what someone or something is capable of holding or doing.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"capable, spacious"

Base: capacity
production capacityseating capacitymental capacitystorage capacity

Common misspellings

capacitiecapasitycapicity

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written