ability

a·bil·i·ty  (-bl-t)

n. pl. a·bil·i·ties

1. The quality of being able to do something, especially the physical, mental, financial, or legal power to accomplish something.

2. A natural or acquired skill or talent.

3. The quality of being suitable for or receptive to a specified treatment; capacity: the ability of a computer to be configured for use as a file server. See Usage Note at able.

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[Middle English abilite, from Old French habilite, from Latin habilits, from habilis, handy; see able.]

Synonyms: ability, capacity, faculty, talent, skill, competence, aptitude
These nouns denote qualities that enable a person to achieve or accomplish something. Ability is the mental or physical power to do something: "To make a fortune some assistance from fate is essential. Ability alone is insufficient" (Ihara Saikaku).
Capacity refers to the potential for acquiring that power: "The capability [women] have shown in the realm of higher education, their achievements in the business world, their capacity for organization . . . have been a revelation" (Susan B. Anthony).
Faculty denotes an inherent ability: My lawyer has a faculty for detecting hypocrisy.
Talent emphasizes inborn ability, especially in the arts: "There is no substitute for talent. Industry and all the virtues are of no avail" (Aldous Huxley).
Skill stresses ability acquired or developed through experience: "The intellect, character and skill possessed by any man are the product of certain original tendencies and the training which they have received" (Edward L. Thorndike).
Competence suggests the ability to do something satisfactorily but not necessarily outstandingly: The violinist played the concerto with unquestioned competence but limited imagination.
Aptitude implies inherent capacity for learning, understanding, or performing: "She handled her brushes with a certain ease and freedom which came, not from long and close acquaintance with them, but from a natural aptitude" (Kate Chopin).

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ability [əˈbɪlɪtɪ]

n pl -ties

1. possession of the qualities required to do something; necessary skill, competence, or power the ability to cope with a problem

2. considerable proficiency; natural capability a man of ability

3. (plural) special talents

[from Old French from Latin habilitās aptitude, handiness, from habilis able]

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Ability 

See Also: ACCOMPLISHMENT

1. Able to absorb punishment as open buds absorb the dew —Grantland Rice
2. The abilities of man must fall short on one side or other, like too scanty a blanket —Sir William Temple
3. The ability to make a great individual fortune … is a sort of sublimated instinct in a way like the instinct of a rat-terrier for smelling out hidden rats —Irvin S. Cobb
4. Being creative without talent is a bit like being a perfectionist and not being able to do anything right —Jane Agner
5. Chose [people] with swift skill, like fruit tested for ripeness with a pinch —Paul Theroux
6. (My wife … ) cooks like Escoffier on wheels —Moss Hart
7. Cuts like a saw through soft pine through the chatter of freeloaders, time-wasting delegations —Stephen Longstreet

   In Longstreet’s novel, Ambassador, from which this is extracted, the efficiency tactics are diplomatic.

8. Efficient as a good deer rifle —Bruce DeSilva
9. Functioned as smoothly as a hospital kitchen —Laurie Colwin
10. Resourceful and energetic as a street dog —James Mills
11. Having communists draft the law for the most capitalist society on earth is like having a blind man guide you through the Louvre museum —Mark Faber, Wall Street Journal, June 19, 1986

    Faber’s simile pertained to the basic law that will govern Hong Kong in future.

12. His [Brendan Sullivan’s] management (of Oliver North) is like one of those pictures that museum directors settle for labeling “Workshop of Veronese” because the hand of the master is not there for certain but his touch and teaching inarguably are —Murray Kempton, New York Post, December 12, 1986

    Kempton’s simile describes the legal abilities of a member in the Edward Bennett Williams law firm, representing Colonel North during the Iran weapons scandal.

13. I can walk like an ox, run like a fox, swim like an eel … make love like a mad bull —David Crockett, speech to Congress
14. Instinct as sure as sight —Edgar Lee Masters
15. Native ability without education is like a tree without fruit —Aristippus
16. Natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study —Francis Bacon
17. Played bridge like an inspired card sharp —Marjory Stoneman Douglas
18. To see him [Chief Justice Hughes] preside was like witnessing Toscanini lead an orchestra —Justice Felix Frankfurter
19. Skilled … like a mischievous and thieving animal —Émile Zola
20. Skillful as jugglers —Daphne du Maurier
21. Talent is like a faucet. While it is open, one must write (paint, etc.) —Jean Anouilh, New York Times, October 2, 1960
22. Talent, like beauty, to be pardoned, must be obscure and unostentatious —Marguerite, Countess Blessington
23. You must work at the talent as a sculptor works at stone, chiselling, plotting, rounding, edging and making perfect —Dylan Thomas

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Ability 

all is fish that comes to his net A proverbial phrase describing the luck of one for whom nothing ever goes awry because of a seemingly innate ability to turn everything to profit. Most fishermen expect to discover undesirable animals or debris in their nets, but the fortuitous fisherman’s net overflows with valuable fish only. The expression is used of one with an extraordinary capacity to develop invariably successful schemes and make consistently lucrative financial investments.

green thumb An above-average ability to grow plants; the knack of successfully cultivating and propagating plants. This phrase and its variant green fingers date from the early 1900s. A “green thumb” is like a magic touch which encourages rapid growth. Although the phrase is usually heard in the context of gardening, it can apply to any innate ability to make things grow and prosper.

“Success with money is often accidental,” she sighed. “One needs ‘green fingers’ to make it grow.” (Daily Telegraph, April 26, 1969)

keep one’s hand in To keep in practice, to dabble in, to maintain one’s proficiency in a certain activity. The expression usually implies sporadic or intermittent interest and activity.

know one’s beans See KNOWLEDGE.

the Midas touch An uncanny ability to make money; entrepreneurial expertise. Midas, legendary king of Phrygia, was divinely granted the power to transform anything he touched to gold. The gods relieved Midas of his power when the king realized that everything he touched, including food and his daughter, changed to gold. Still in general use, this expression often describes the moneymaking abilities of an entrepreneur.

Picasso, with his Midas touch, has at first try made the lino-cut a more dignified medium. (Times, July, 1960)

play a straight bat To know what you are doing, to know your business. This Briticism comes from the game of cricket.

to the manner born See STATUS.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	ability - the quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishment adaptability - the ability to change (or be changed) to fit changed circumstances quality - an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone; "the quality of mercy is not strained"--Shakespeare sensitiveness, sensitivity - the ability to respond to affective changes in your interpersonal environment competence, competency - the quality of being adequately or well qualified physically and intellectually form - an ability to perform well; "he was at the top of his form"; "the team was off form last night" interoperability - (computer science) the ability to exchange and use information (usually in a large heterogeneous network made up of several local area networks) magical ability, magical power - an ability to perform magic Midas touch - an ability to make and manage large amounts of money penetration - the ability to make way into or through something; "the greater penetration of the new projectiles will result in greater injuries" physical ability - the ability to perform some physical act; contrasting with mental ability contractility - the capability or quality of shrinking or contracting, especially by muscle fibers and even some other forms of living matter capability, capableness - the quality of being capable -- physically or intellectually or legally; "he worked to the limits of his capability" totipotence, totipotency - the ability of a cell to give rise to unlike cells and so to develop a new organism or part; "animal cells lose their totipotency at an early stage in embryonic development" immunocompetence - the ability to develop an immune response following exposure to an antigen inability, unfitness - lacking the power to perform
	2.	ability - possession of the qualities (especially mental qualities) required to do something or get something done; "danger heightened his powers of discrimination" power cognition, knowledge, noesis - the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning know-how - the (technical) knowledge and skill required to do something leadership - the ability to lead; "he believed that leadership can be taught" intelligence - the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience aptitude - inherent ability bilingualism - the ability to speak two languages colloquially mental ability, capacity - the power to learn or retain knowledge; in law, the ability to understand the facts and significance of your behavior creative thinking, creativeness, creativity - the ability to create originality - the ability to think and act independently science, skill - ability to produce solutions in some problem domain; "the skill of a well-trained boxer"; "the sweet science of pugilism" acquirement, skill, accomplishment, attainment, acquisition - an ability that has been acquired by training hand - ability; "he wanted to try his hand at singing" superior skill - more than ordinary ability faculty, mental faculty, module - one of the inherent cognitive or perceptual powers of the mind inability - lack of ability (especially mental ability) to do something

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ability

noun

1. capability, power, potential, facility, capacity, qualification, competence, proficiency, competency, potentiality No one had faith in his ability to do the job.
capability inability, incompetence, incapacity, powerlessness, incapability

2. skill, talent, know-how (informal), gift, expertise, faculty, flair, competence, energy, accomplishment, knack, aptitude, proficiency, dexterity, cleverness, potentiality, adroitness, adeptness Her drama teacher spotted her ability.

Translations

ability [əˈbɪlɪtɪ] N

1. (= capacity) → aptitud f, capacidad f
ability to pay → solvencia f, recursos mpl
his ability in French → su aptitud para el francés
to the best of my ability → lo mejor que pueda or sepa
my ability to do it depends on → el que yo lo haga depende de ...

2. (= talent) a boy of ability → un chico de talento
he has great ability → tiene un gran talento (for para) abilities → talento m, dotes fpl

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ability [əˈbɪlɪti] n

(= capability) → capacité f, aptitude f
abilities (= competence) → compétences fpl
one's ability to do sth → sa capacité de faire qch, son aptitude à faire qch
to have the ability to do sth → être capable de faire qch
to have the ability to see → être capable de voir
to the best of my ability, to the best of my abilities → de mon mieux

(= skill, talent) → talent m
a footballer of great ability → un footballeur talentueux

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ability

n → Fähigkeit f; ability to pay/hear → Zahlungs-/Hörfähigkeit f; to the best of my ability → nach (besten) Kräften; (with mental activities) → so gut ich es kann; a man of great ability → ein sehr fähiger Mann; his ability in German → seine Fähigkeiten im Deutschen; she has great ability → sie ist ausgesprochen fähig

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ability [əˈbɪlɪtɪ] n → capacità f inv, abilità f inv abilities npl → capacità fpl, doti fpl
to the best of my ability → con il massimo impegno
a person of great abilities → una persona molto dotata

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ability

n ability [əˈbiləti]

1 the power, knowledge etc to do something I shall do the job to the best of my ability. vermoë مَقْدِرَة способност schopnost evne die Fähigkeit ικανότητα capacidad võime توان؛ قدرت kyky capacité יְכוֹלֶת योग्यता sposobnost képesség kemampuan geta, hæfni capacità 能力 능력 sugebėjimas kompetence kemampuan vermogen evne umiejętność capacidade posi­bi­litate, putinţă способность schopnosť zmožnost sposobnost förmåga ความสามารถ yetenek 能力 здібність, здатність قابلیت khả năng 能力

2 a skill a man of many abilities. vaardigheid مَهَارَة، مَعْرِفَة умение zručnost evne; færdighed die Fertigkeit επιδεξιότητα habilidad oskus مهارت taito habileté כִּשָׁרוֹן@@@כִּישָׁרוֹן$$$ कौशल vještina tehetség bisanya (sér)kunnátta, færni abilità 技能 재능 gabumas spēja; prasme kebolehan bekwaamheid ferdighet zdolność aptidão aptitudine дарование zručnosť spretnost veština begåvning, färdighet ความมีทักษะ beceri, marifet, hüner 才能 уміння, здібність مہارت tài năng 才能

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ability → قدرة schopnost evne Fähigkeit ικανότητα aptitud kyky capacité sposobnost abilità 能力 능력 vermogen evne zdolność capacidade, habilidade способность förmåga ความสามารถ yetenek khả năng 能力