Ability

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: a=bil=i=ty

CIDE DICTIONARY

Ability, n. [F. habileté, earlier spelling habilité (with silent h), L. habilitas aptitude, ability, fr. habilis apt. See Able.].

 The quality or state of being able; power to perform, whether physical, moral, intellectual, conventional, or legal; capacity; skill or competence in doing; sufficiency of strength, skill, resources, etc.; -- in the plural, faculty, talent.  [1913 Webster]
"Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren."  [1913 Webster]
"Natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study."  [1913 Webster]
"The public men of England, with much of a peculiar kind of ability."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Capacity; talent; cleverness; faculty; capability; efficiency; aptitude; aptness; address; dexterity; skill.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Ability, n. (pl. -ies)
1 (often foll. by to + infin.) capacity or power (has the ability to write songs).
2 cleverness, talent; mental power (a person of great ability; has many abilities).

Etymology

ME f. OF ablete f. L habilitas -tatis f. habilis able

DEVIL DICTIONARY

Ability

n. The natural equipment to accomplish some small part of the meaner ambitions distinguishing able men from dead ones. In the last analysis ability is commonly found to consist mainly in a high degree of solemnity. Perhaps, however, this impressive quality is rightly appraised; it is no easy task to be solemn.

THESAURUS

Ability

ableness, address, adeptness, adequacy, adroitness, airmanship, aptitude, aptness, artfulness, artisanship, artistry, bravura, brilliance, bump, caliber, capability, capableness, capacity, capital, cleverness, command, competence, competency, condition, control, coordination, craft, craftsmanship, cunning, deftness, devices, dexterity, dexterousness, dextrousness, diplomacy, disposable resources, dower, dowry, efficacy, efficiency, endowment, equipment, expertise, expertism, expertness, facility, faculty, finesse, fitness, fittedness, flair, forte, funds, genius, gift, grace, grip, handiness, horsemanship, ingeniousness, ingenuity, instinct, knack, know-how, long suit, makings, marksmanship, mastership, mastery, maturity, means, method, metier, might, natural endowment, natural gift, parts, potential, power, powers, practical ability, preparedness, proficiency, prowess, qualification, quickness, readiness, recourses, resorts, resource, resourcefulness, resources, ripeness, savoir-faire, savvy, seamanship, seasoning, skill, skillfulness, speciality, stock, strong flair, strong point, style, sufficiency, suitability, suitableness, suitedness, supply, susceptibility, tact, tactfulness, talent, talents, technical brilliance, technical mastery, technical skill, technique, tempering, the goods, the stuff, timing, trim, virtuosity, ways, ways and means, what it takes, wherewith, wherewithal, wit, wizardry, workmanship

ROGET THESAURUS

Ability

Skill

N skill, skillfulness, address, dexterity, dexterousness, adroitness, expertness, proficiency, competence, technical competence, craft, callidity, facility, knack, trick, sleight, mastery, mastership, excellence, panurgy, ambidexterity, ambidextrousness, sleight of hand, seamanship, airmanship, marksmanship, horsemanship, rope-dancing, accomplishment, acquirement, attainment, art, science, technicality, technology, practical knowledge, technical knowledge, knowledge of the world, world wisdom, savoir faire, tact, mother wit, discretion, finesse, craftiness, management, self-help, cleverness, talent, ability, ingenuity, capacity, parts, talents, faculty, endowment, forte, turn, gift, genius, intelligence, sharpness, readiness, invention, aptness, aptitude, turn for, capacity for, genius for, felicity, capability, curiosa felicitas, qualification, habilitation, proficient, masterpiece, coup de maitre, chef d'euvre, tour de force, good stroke, skillful, dexterous, adroit, expert, apt, handy, quick, deft, ready, gain, slick, smart, proficient, good at, up to, at home in, master of, a good hand at, au fait, thoroughbred, masterly, crack, accomplished, conversant, experienced, practiced, skilled, hackneyed, up in, well up in, in practice, in proper cue, competent, efficient, qualified, capable, fitted, fit for, up to the mark, trained, initiated, prepared, primed, finished, clever, cute, able, ingenious, felicitous, gifted, talented, endowed, inventive, shrewd, sharp, on the ball, cunning, alive to, up to snuff, not to be caught with chaff, discreet, neat-handed, fine-fingered, nimble-fingered, ambidextrous, sure- footed, cut out for, fitted for, technical, artistic, scientific, daedalian, shipshape, workman- like, business-like, statesman-like, skillfully, well, artistically, with skill, with consummate skill, secundum artem, suo Marte, to the best of one's abilities, ars celare artem, artes honorabit, celui qui veut celui-la peut, c'est une grande habilite que de savoir cacher son, expertus metuit, es bildet ein Talent sich in der Stille sich ein C, heart to conceive, the understanding to direct, or the hand to execute, if you have lemons, make lemonade.

Power

N power, potency, potentiality, jiva, puissance, might, force, energy, dint, right hand, right arm, ascendency, sway, control, prepotency, prepollence, almightiness, omnipotence, authority, strength, ability, ableness, competency, efficacy, efficiency, productivity, expertise (skill), validity, cogency, enablement, vantage ground, influence, pressure, conductivity, elasticity, gravity, electricity, magnetism, galvanism, voltaic electricity, voltaism, electromagnetism, atomic power, nuclear power, thermonuclear power, fuel cell, hydraulic power, water power, hydroelectric power, solar power, solar energy, solar panels, tidal power, wind power, attraction, vis inertiae, vis mortua, vis viva, potential energy, dynamic energy, dynamic friction, dynamic suction, live circuit, live rail, live wire, capability, capacity, quid valeant humeri quid ferre recusent, faculty, quality, attribute, endowment, virtue, gift, property, qualification, susceptibility, powerful, puissant, potential, capable, able, equal to, up to, cogent, valid, efficient, productive, effective, effectual, efficacious, adequate, competent, multipotent, plenipotent, omnipotent, almighty, forcible, (energetic), influential, productive, powerfully, by virtue of, by dint of, a toute force, dos moi pou sto kai kino ten gen, eripuit coelo fulmen sceptrumque tyrannis, fortis cadere cedere non potest.

Intellect

N intellect, mind, understanding, reason, thinking principle, rationality, cogitative faculties, cognitive faculties, discursive faculties, reasoning faculties, intellectual faculties, faculties, senses, consciousness, observation, percipience, intelligence, intellection, intuition, association of ideas, instinct, conception, judgment, wits, parts, capacity, intellectuality, genius, brains, cognitive powers, intellectual powers, wit, ability, wisdom, Vernunft, Verstand, soul, spirit, ghost, inner man, heart, breast, bosom, penetralia mentis, divina particula aurae, heart's core, the Absolute, psyche, subliminal consciousness, supreme principle, brain, organ of thought, seat of thought, sensorium, sensory, head, headpiece, pate, noddle, noggin, skull, scull, pericranium, cerebrum, cranium, brainpan, sconce, upper story, central processing unit, CPU, arithmetic and logical unit, ALU, metaphysics, psychics, psychology, ideology, mental philosophy, moral philosophy, philosophy of the mind, pneumatology, phrenology, craniology, cranioscopy, ideality, idealism, transcendentalism, spiritualism, immateriality, universal concept, universal conception, metaphysician, psychologist, intellectual, mental, rational, subjective, metaphysical, nooscopic, spiritual, ghostly, psychical, psychological, cerebral, animastic, brainy, hyperphysical, superphysical, subconscious, subliminal, immaterial, endowed with reason, in petto, ens rationis, frons est animi janua, locos y ninos dicen la verdad, mens sola loco non exulat, my mind is my kingdom, stern men with empires in their brains, the mind, the music breathing from her face, thou living ray of intellectual Fire.