capability

capability — noun

1. the natural or learned skill, power, or quality needed to achieve a particular r

1.nounC1
Definition

the natural or learned skill, power, or quality needed to achieve a particular result — for example, a young child's capability to learn two languages at once, or an engineer's capability for solving complex problems under pressure.

Example

The new software gives the team the capability to analyse thousands of data points.

capability + to-infinitive for ability to do something

Ravi's capability for handling difficult customers quickly earned him a promotion.

capability + for + gerund

Common collocations
  • demonstrate capability
  • develop capability
  • technical capability
  • capability to handle
  • capability for improvement
Synonyms
  • ability

    more general; capability emphasises potential or scope of what can be achieved

  • capacity

    often used for maximum amount or volume, not always personal skill

  • competence

    focuses on the required level of knowledge or skill for a task, more formal

Antonyms
  • inability

    the state of not being able to do something

Grammar Patterns

capability + to-infinitive

capability + for + noun/gerund

capability + of + noun/gerund

Usage Note

Frequently followed by a to-infinitive (capability to do something) or by for + gerund (capability for doing something). The pattern with of + gerund is also possible but less common. Unlike ability, capability often carries a sense of potential or future use rather than a currently demonstrated skill.

Common Mistakes

She has the capability of speak three languages.
She has the capability to speak three languages.
capability is followed by to-infinitive or for + gerund, not of + bare infinitive.
This machine has the ability to process 500 units per hour.' (when referring to a machine's designed function, capability is more natural)
This machine has the capability to process 500 units per hour.
capability is preferred for technical or designed capacities.

2. the total military strength of a nation or group, including weapons, equipment,

2.noun
Definition

the total military strength of a nation or group, including weapons, equipment, soldiers, and the ability to use them effectively in combat.

Example

The two nations agreed to reduce their nuclear capability as part of the peace treaty.

military collocation: nuclear / military / defensive capability

Intelligence reports showed that the rebel forces had expanded their offensive capability with new drones.

Common collocations
  • military capability
  • nuclear capability
  • defensive capability
  • offensive capability
  • naval capability
Synonyms
  • military strength

    broader, includes economic factors that support the military

  • firepower

    narrower — refers specifically to the quantity of weapons and ammunition available

Grammar Patterns

military/nuclear/defensive capability

capability in + noun

Usage Note

In this military sense, capability is nearly always used with an attributive adjective specifying the type of military power (nuclear, offensive, defensive, naval, etc.). It is rarely used alone without a modifier. Distinguish from sense 1 (ABILITY): if the context involves war, weapons, or armed forces, this is likely the intended sense.

Word family

  • capable
    adjectiveB1
  • capably
    adverbB2
  • incapable
    adjectiveB2
  • incapability
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Capability, ability, capacity, competence, and faculty all relate to what someone or something can do, but they differ in emphasis. Ability is the broadest term and focuses on a currently demonstrated skill (e.g., 'her ability to solve maths problems quickly'). Capability adds a sense of potential or scope — it suggests what someone or something could achieve under the right conditions (e.g., 'the factory's production capability'). Capacity leans toward maximum volume or amount (e.g., 'the hall has a seating capacity of 500'). Competence is more formal and implies meeting a required standard ('professional competence'). Faculty is rare in everyday use and typically refers to a natural mental power ('the faculty of speech'). For most everyday contexts where a person has a practical skill, ability is the safest choice; use capability when you want to emphasise the full range of what is achievable or the designed function of a system.

ability ↗capacity ↗competence ↗faculty ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • beyond one's capability
  • within the capability of

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Capability comes from the French word capable, which traces back to the Latin capabilis, meaning 'able to hold or contain'. The root capere means 'to take, hold, or seize'. The suffix -ity turns the adjective into a noun meaning 'the quality or state of being capable'. The military sense emerged in the 20th century, referring to a nation's capacity for war.