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ability

noun
/əˈbɪl.ə.ti/

Etymology

First attested in the 1300s. From Middle English abilite (“suitability, aptitude, ability”), from Old French ableté, from Latin habilitās (“aptness, ability”), from habilis (“apt, fit, skillful, able”); equivalent to able + -ity.

  1. derived from habilitās
  2. derived from ablete
  3. inherited from abilite

Definitions

  1. Suitableness.

  2. The quality or state of being able

    The quality or state of being able; capacity to do or of doing something; having the necessary power.

    • This phone has the ability to have its software upgraded wirelessly.
    • This wood has the ability to fight off insects, fungus, and mold for a considerable time.

  3. The legal wherewithal to act.

    • The ability to shift profits to low-tax countries by locating intellectual property in them, which is then licensed to related businesses in high-tax countries, is often assumed to be the preserve of high-tech companies.
  4. ›+ 4 more definitions

    1. Physical power.

    2. Financial ability.

    3. A unique power of the mind

      A unique power of the mind; a faculty.

    4. A skill or competence in doing

      A skill or competence in doing; mental power; talent; aptitude.

      • a mixed-ability class
      • They are persons of ability, who will go far in life.
      • She has an uncanny ability to defuse conflict.

The neighborhood

Derived

ability grouping, ability point, ability to pay, diffability, entransy, Motability, nonability, notability, subability, superability, transability

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at ability. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01ability02legal03basis04circumstance05evasive06avoidance07clear08bright09visually10sight

A definitional loop anchored at ability. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

10 hops · closes at ability

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA