capable
English
Etymology
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Borrowed from Middle French capable, from Late Latin capābilis.
Pronunciation
Adjective
capable (comparative more capable, superlative most capable)
- Able and efficient; having the ability needed for a specific task; having the disposition to do something; permitting or being susceptible to something.
- She is capable and efficient.
- He does not need help; he is capable of eating on his own.
- As everyone knew, he was capable of violence when roused.
- That fact is not capable of proof.
- (obsolete) Of sufficient capacity or size for holding, containing, receiving or taking in; accessible to. Construed with of, for or an infinitive.
- 1672, Lord Herbert, The Life and Reign of King Henry the Eighth, page 594:
- The place chosen was the cathedral church, capable of about 400 persons.
- 1775, Samuel Johnson, A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland (Works 10.479):
- He has begun a road capable of a wheel-carriage.
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:skillful
Antonyms
Derived terms
- capability (noun)
Translations
able and efficient
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References
- John A. Simpson and Edmund S. C. Weiner, editors (1989), “capable”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN.
Anagrams
French
Etymology
From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin capabilis.
Pronunciation
Adjective
capable (plural capables)
See also
Further reading
- “capable”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Categories:
- English terms borrowed from Middle French
- English terms derived from Middle French
- English terms derived from Late Latin
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English terms with quotations
- French terms derived from Latin
- French 2-syllable words
- French terms with IPA pronunciation
- French terms with audio links
- French lemmas
- French adjectives