-ability

See also: ability

English

Alternative forms

• -ibility

Etymology

From Middle English -ablete, -iblete, -abilite, -ibilite, from Middle French -ableté, -ibleté, -abilité, -ibilité, from Latin -abilitas, -ibilitas, from -abilis (“able”) or -ibilis (“able”) + -tas. Equivalent to -able + -ity.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /əˈbɪl.ə.ti/

Suffix

-ability

1. Forms a noun from a verb or an adjective by changing from -able; ability, inclination or suitability for a specified function or condition.

   vulner(able) → vulnerability

Usage notes

• Most words ending in "ability" formed in English are first attested after corresponding words ending in -able.
• Note that this is not simply -able + -ity: in English it is a parallel formation, not a compound suffix: there is a sound and spelling change. Compare -ably (compound suffix) and -ification (parallel suffix).
• Some words ending in -ability are alterations of words of French origin ending in -abilité or Latin words ending in -abilitās.

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -ability

terms derived using -ability

• absorbability, from absorbable
• acceptability, from acceptable
• accountability, from accountable
• adaptability, from adaptable
• affability, from affable
• availability, from available
• bouncebackability
• capability, from capable
• culpability, from culpable
• desirability, from desirable
• durability
• flammability
• inability
• inflammability
• instability
• liability
• malleability
• nonability
• palpability
• probability
• readability
• reliability
• respectability
• stability
• suitability
• teachability
• traceability
• variability

Related terms

other terms ending in "ability"

• agreeability
• availability
• avoidability
• disability
• clusterability
• collocability
• combinability
• countability
• crystallizability
• editability
• enforceability
• enjoyability
• factorizability
• falsifiability
• googlability
• googleability
• governability
• impassability
• impassibility
• installability
• investigability
• mappability
• mouldability
• movability
• passability
• playability
• preventability
• printability
• rapability
• rationalizability
• recognizability
• registerability
• removability
• repairability
• resettability
• respectability
• scanability
• seeability
• supportability
• togglability
• tolerability
• treatability
• undoability
• universalisability
• unmappability
• usability
• washability
• wearability
• winnability
• writability

Translations

Forms a noun from a verb

• French: -abilité (fr)
• Galician: -abilidade f
• German: -barkeit f
• Hungarian: -hatóság, -hetőség, képesség (hu)
• Indonesian: -itas (id), -abilitas
• Malay: keboleh--an, keter--an
• Portuguese: -abilidade
• Romanian: -abilitate f, -ibilitate f
• Spanish: -abilidade
• Swedish: -barhet
• Turkish: -bilirlik, -abilite