What does “ability” mean?
- 1
nounthe power or skill to do something
She has the ability to explain hard ideas simply.
Ability at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun
- CEFR level
- B1 (intermediate)
- Pronunciation
- /əˈbɪləti/ · uh-BIL-uh-tee
- Forms
- abilities
How to use “ability” correctly
Use “the ability to” + verb, not “the ability of doing”: “the ability to swim”.
Common phrases with “ability”
- the ability to do sth
- natural ability
- ability level
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- skill
- talent
- capacity
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- inability
Word family
- able
- unable
- disability
- ably
“ability” is on these word lists
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- option nounB1something you can choose from a set of possibilities
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- reality nounB1the true situation, not what people imagine or hope
- sense nounB1one of the natural abilities of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch
- theory nounB1a set of ideas that tries to explain why something happens