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View synonyms for

capable

[ key-puh-buhl ]

adjective

  1. having power and ability; efficient; competent:

    a capable instructor.

    Synonyms: , ,



capable

/ ˈɪəə /

adjective

  1. having ability, esp in many different fields; competent
  2. postpositivefoll byof able or having the skill (to do something)

    she is capable of hard work

  3. postpositivefoll byof having the temperament or inclination (to do something)

    he seemed capable of murder

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈ貹Ա, noun
  • ˈ貹, adverb
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Other Word Forms

  • p··Ա noun
  • p· adverb
  • v·p· adjective
  • ܲȴ-p· adjective
  • quasi-p· adverb
  • p·p· adjective
  • super·p··Ա noun
  • super·p· adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of capable1

First recorded in 1555–65; from Late Latin “intelligent, understandable,” apparently equivalent to () “competent, fit, roomy” ( capacity ) + - able
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Word History and Origins

Origin of capable1

C16: from French, from Late Latin able to take in, from Latin capere to take
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. capable of,
    1. having the ability or capacity for:

      a man capable of judging art.

    2. open to the influence or effect of; susceptible of:

      a situation capable of improvement.

    3. predisposed to; inclined to:

      capable of murder.

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Synonym Study

See able.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

On the pitch, he remains Madrid's eternal risk-taker - capable of brilliance, chaos, and sometimes both in the same play.

From

While he may have burnt bridges with influential boxing people down to a crisp, Eubank is perfectly capable of single-handedly promoting a fight.

From

And is it even capable of doing so?

From

The fact Villa have struggled against them this season shows what Palace are capable of, given how good Unai Emery's side have been.

From

Letitia, 26, admitted that they "didn't really take it so seriously" when they applied to take part in the programme, but were soon wondering if they were capable of completing the race.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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Capablancacapacious