ABILITY

Pronunciation (US):

• ABILITY (noun)
  The noun ABILITY has 2 senses:

1. the quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishment
2. possession of the qualities (especially mental qualities) required to do something or get something done

  Familiarity information: ABILITY used as a noun is rare.

• ABILITY (noun)

Meaning:

The quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishment

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("ability" is a kind of...):

quality (an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone)

Attribute:

able ((usually followed by 'to') having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something)

unable ((usually followed by 'to') not having the necessary means or skill or know-how)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ability"):

adaptability (the ability to change (or be changed) to fit changed circumstances)

immunocompetence (the ability to develop an immune response following exposure to an antigen)

totipotence; totipotency (the ability of a cell to give rise to unlike cells and so to develop a new organism or part)

capability; capableness (the quality of being capable -- physically or intellectually or legally)

contractility (the capability or quality of shrinking or contracting, especially by muscle fibers and even some other forms of living matter)

physical ability (the ability to perform some physical act; contrasting with mental ability)

penetration (the ability to make way into or through something)

Midas touch (an ability to make and manage large amounts of money)

magical ability; magical power (an ability to perform magic)

interoperability ((computer science) the ability to exchange and use information (usually in a large heterogeneous network made up of several local area networks))

form (an ability to perform well)

competence; competency (the quality of being adequately or well qualified physically and intellectually)

sensitiveness; sensitivity (the ability to respond to affective changes in your interpersonal environment)

Antonym:

inability (lacking the power to perform)

Meaning:

Possession of the qualities (especially mental qualities) required to do something or get something done

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

ability; power

Context example:

danger heightened his powers of discrimination

Hypernyms ("ability" is a kind of...):

cognition; knowledge; noesis (the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning)

Attribute:

able ((usually followed by 'to') having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ability"):

originality (the ability to think and act independently)

science; skill (ability to produce solutions in some problem domain)

accomplishment; acquirement; acquisition; attainment; skill (an ability that has been acquired by training)

hand (ability)

superior skill (more than ordinary ability)

creative thinking; creativeness; creativity (the ability to create)

capacity; mental ability (the power to learn or retain knowledge; in law, the ability to understand the facts and significance of your behavior)

bilingualism (the ability to speak two languages colloquially)

aptitude (inherent ability)

intelligence (the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience)

leadership (the ability to lead)

know-how (the (technical) knowledge and skill required to do something)

faculty; mental faculty; module (one of the inherent cognitive or perceptual powers of the mind)

Antonym:

inability (lack of ability (especially mental ability) to do something)