ability

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To have people questioning my ability is annoying because I know my ability, I know the ability of my staff, too, and the way we work is second to none.

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Definitions (18)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (4)

  1. noun The quality of being able to do something, especially the physical, mental, financial, or legal power to accomplish something.
  2. noun A natural or acquired skill or talent.
  3. noun The quality of being suitable for or receptive to a specified treatment; capacity: the ability of a computer to be configured for use as a file server. See Usage Note at able.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (11)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (2)

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Examples (50)

  • It was not what I or the ability was accustomed to and I had some bad moments when I thought she might reject what I had to yield. —  Omni: September 1994
  • First time I knew I had the ability was around age 10 when I wrote my first two raps. —  Entertainment - Female First
  • One significant clue that they might have this ability is the fact their genomes have the same version of the FOXP2 gene that we do. —  Readthehook.com - Current Articles
  • However, the ability is a bit too good, and you find yourself using it most of the time, making most gunfights a walk in the park (assuming that park was full of people trying to kill you). —  Latest from PALGN
  • Killing Spree - while this ability is active, the rogue does 20\% additional damage. —  WoW.com
 

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This word has been looked up 495 times.

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Related

Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

skill ·  capacity ·  intelligence ·  strength ·  activity ·  courage ·  success ·  faculty ·  efficiency ·  judgment ·  insight ·  effort

Used in the same contextWord Family

ability:   abilities
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English abilite, from Old French habilite, from Latin habilitās, from habilis, handy; see able.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. from Middle English abilite (four syllables), from Old French habilite (Middle English also ablete, from Old French ablete), from Latin habilita(t-)s, Middle Latin abilita(t-)s, aptness, from habilis, apt, able: see able.
 

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/əˈbɪləti/
by American Heritage

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