able

Meaning

Adj

1. Having the necessary powers or the needed resources to accomplish a task.
2. Free from constraints preventing completion of task; permitted to; not prevented from.
3. Gifted with skill, intelligence, knowledge, or competence.
4. Legally qualified or competent.
5. Capable of performing all the requisite duties; as an able seaman.
6. (dialectal, obsolete) Having the physical strength; robust; healthy.
7. (obsolete) Easy to use.
8. (obsolete) Suitable; competent.
9. (dialectal, obsolete) Liable to.
10. (obsolete) Rich; well-to-do.

Verb

1. (obsolete, transitive) To make ready.
2. (obsolete, transitive) To make capable; to enable.
3. (obsolete, transitive) To dress.
4. (obsolete, transitive) To give power to; to reinforce; to confirm.
5. (obsolete, transitive) To vouch for; to guarantee.
6. (form-of, gerund, participle, present) present participle and gerund of can

Noun

The letter "A" in Navy Phonetic Alphabet.

Synonyms

capable

can

competent

skillful

skilled

clever

proficient

talented

efficient

skilful

adept

fit

apt

powerful

gifted

accomplished

smart

adroit

qualified

strong

expert

dexterous

able-bodied

possible

may

handy

knowing

suitable

mighty

know

deft

be able to

experienced

wise

best effort

worthy

capable of

sufficient

capability

ability

able to

effective

shrewd

meet

potent

deserving

how

know how to

fit for work

be capable of

Translations

capable

fähig

capaz

pouvoir

capace

abile

bekwaam

ικανός

hábil

kompetent

bedreven

geschickt

capaz

imstande

compétent

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈeɪ.bəl/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: able

In summary

From Middle English able, from Old Northern French able, variant of Old French abile, habile, from Latin habilis (“easily managed, held, or handled; apt; skillful”), from habeō (“have, possess”) + -ibilis.
Broadly ousted the native Old English magan, which has taken a different meaning.

Sentences

You will never be able to escape from your heart .

He had always believed that the sheep were able to understand what he said .

Had our instruments permitted it , we might have been able to see the trouble way back when .

Increasing the dose of the drug may be able to restore the original response .

I haven't been able to shake him since .

I don't know if I'll be able to find life in the desert , the boy thought .