Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Lack of ability or means.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The state of being unable, physically, mentally, or morally; want of ability; lack of power, capacity, or means: as, inability to perform a task, or to pay one's debts.
  • noun Specifically In theology, want of power to obey the law of God.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The quality or state of being unable; lack of ability; lack of sufficient power, strength, resources, or capacity.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun lack of the ability to do something; incapability

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun lacking the power to perform
  • noun lack of ability (especially mental ability) to do something

Etymologies

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Examples

  • I do want to point out that a spokesperson for Ralph Lauren told us today they let her go because of what they called her inability to meet obligations under her contract.

    CNN Transcript Oct 14, 2009 2009

  • This inability is again demonstrated by your comment:

    ID Research, Look to the Example 2005

  • Again, the reason for this inability is the aesthetic form of art since any such synthesis would erase the struggle in which the individual is brought to an experience of freedom [10].

    Indifferent Freedom 2000

  • Remember that what you call your inability God calls your guilt; and that this inability is a wilful thing.

    God's Way of Peace: A Book for the Anxious 1861

  • The book discusses what he calls the inability of elected officials in both political parties to enact the serious reforms the country needs to not only properly respond to the economic crisis but to address the nation's other long-term challenges.

    Blog entry 2009

  • The book discusses what he calls the inability of elected officials in both political parties to enact the serious reforms the country needs to not only properly respond to the economic crisis but to address the nation's other long-term challenges.

    Blog entry 2009

  • The book discusses what he calls the inability of elected officials in both political parties to enact the serious reforms the country needs to not only properly respond to the economic crisis but to address the nation's other long-term challenges.

    Blog entry 2009

  • The book discusses what he calls the inability of elected officials in both political parties to enact the serious reforms the country needs to not only properly respond to the economic crisis but to address the nation's other long-term challenges.

    Blog entry 2009

  • He called the inability to put West Virginia into the GOP column “a marvel,” notwithstanding the fact that Clinton carried the state by 14 points four years earlier.

    COURAGE AND CONSEQUENCE KARL ROVE 2010

  • He called the inability to put West Virginia into the GOP column “a marvel,” notwithstanding the fact that Clinton carried the state by 14 points four years earlier.

    COURAGE AND CONSEQUENCE KARL ROVE 2010

Comments

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  • I would love to respond to ruzuzu and bilby, who posted comments on "the user chained_bear," but I seem to have an inability to do so. So I'll do it here. Hi ruzuzu! Hi bilby!

    January 14, 2017

  • You could take a picture of your 'hello bilby!' tattoo and upload it to Flickr.

    /helpful

    January 15, 2017

  • Alas, Flickr hates me.

    January 16, 2017