able
adjective
having necessary power, skill, resources, or qualifications; qualified.
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able
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-able
-ablea suffix meaning “capable of, susceptible of, fit for, tending to, given to,” associated in meaning with the word able, occurring in loanwords from Latin (laudable ); used in English as a highly productive suffix to form adjectives by addition to stems of any origin (teachable; photographable ).
able
1 American
[ey-buhl]
/ ˈeɪ bəl /
adjective
abler,
ablest
-
having necessary power, skill, resources, or qualifications; qualified.
able to lift a two-hundred-pound weight; able to write music; able to travel widely; able to vote.
- Antonyms:
- incompetent
-
having unusual or superior intelligence, skill, etc..
an able leader.
-
showing talent, skill, or knowledge.
an able speech.
- Synonyms:
- apt
-
legally empowered, qualified, or authorized.
noun
-able
2
American
able
1
British
/ ˈeɪbəl /
adjective
-
(postpositive) having the necessary power, resources, skill, time, opportunity, etc, to do something
able to swim
-
capable; competent; talented
an able teacher
-
law qualified, competent, or authorized to do some specific act
-able
2
British
suffix
-
capable of, suitable for, or deserving of (being acted upon as indicated)
enjoyable
pitiable
readable
separable
washable
-
inclined to; given to; able to; causing
comfortable
reasonable
variable
Related Words
Able, capable, competent all mean possessing adequate power for doing something. Able implies power equal to effort required: able to finish in time. Capable implies power to meet or fulfill ordinary requirements: a capable worker. Competent suggests power to meet demands in a completely satisfactory manner: a competent nurse.
Other Word Forms
- -ability suffix
- -ably suffix
- overable adjective
- overably adverb
Etymology
Origin of able1
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin habilis “handy,” equivalent to hab(ēre) “to have, hold” + -ilis adjective suffix; see -ile
Origin of -able2
Middle English < Old French < Latin -ābilis, equivalent to -ā- final vowel of 1st conjugation v. stems + -bilis
Explanation
If you're able to juggle, you'll go far in life. To be able is to have the skill, knowledge, or permission to do something. Able is an adjective that describes the ability to do a particular thing, like your friend who's able to ride a motorcycle and your dog that's able to roll over on command. It can also mean very skilled or capable, as when you describe your sister as an able tap dancer. Able comes from the Latin word habilis, "easily handled or apt." The h is silent in Latin, which led to it being dropped from the English able.
Vocabulary lists containing able
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4-letter words, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Times was not able to reach Hashemi or the family’s attorney.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
But they have not been able to call on him nearly enough and Havertz has been restricted to just six starts in the Premier League.
From BBC • May 1, 2026
That Sandisk is able to keep its margins consistent throughout the memory cycle is more important than benefiting from high average sales prices in a single quarter, he said.
From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026
Using the same experimental setup, the researchers were able to switch between different levels of squeezing.
From Science Daily • May 1, 2026
Maybe they would not be able to repair them.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.