able

See also:Ableand-able

English

Alternative forms

• (obsolete)hable

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation)IPA^(key):/ˈeɪbl̩/,[ˈeɪ̯.bɫ̩]
• (General American)IPA^(key):/ˈeɪb(ə)l/

• Audio(General American):

  (file)

• (L-Vocalisation)IPA^(key):[ˈeɪ̯.bw]
• Homophone:Abel
• Rhymes:-eɪbəl

Etymology 1

FromMiddle Englishable,fromOld Northern Frenchable,variant ofOld Frenchabile,habile,fromLatinhabilis(“easily managed, held, or handled; apt; skillful”),fromhabeō(“have, possess”)+‎-ibilis.

Broadly ousted the nativeOld Englishmagan.

Adjective

able(comparativeabler,superlativeablest)

1. Having thenecessarypowers or the neededresourcestoaccomplisha task.[First attested from around (1350 to 1470).]

   She isableto lift the box without assistance.

2. Free from constraints preventing completion of task;permittedto; notpreventedfrom.[First attested from around (1350 to 1470).]

   I'll see you as soon as I'mable.

   With that obstacle removed, I am nowableto proceed with my plan.

3. Gifted withskill,intelligence,knowledge,orcompetence.[First attested in the mid 16^thcentury.]

   The chairman was also anablesailor.

   • 1625,Francis [Bacon],“Of Youth and Age. XLII.”, inThe Essayes[…],3rd edition, London:[…]Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret,→OCLC,pages247–248:

     Natures that haue much Heat, and great and violent deſires and Perturbations, are not ripe for Action, till they haue paſſed the Meridian of their yeares: As it was withIulius Cæſar,andSeptimius Seuerus.[…]And yet he [Septimus Severus] was theAbleſtEmperour, almoſt, of all the Liſt.

   • 1850,[Alfred, Lord Tennyson],In Memoriam,London:Edward Moxon,[…],→OCLC,Canto XXXVII,page57:

     Urania speaks with darken’d brow:
     ⁠‘Thou pratest here where thou art least;
     ⁠This faith has many a purer priest,
     And many anablervoice than thou:[…]’

4. (law)Legallyqualifiedorcompetent.[First attested in the early 18^thcentury.]

   He isableto practice law in six states.

5. (nautical)Capable of performing all the requisite duties; as anable seaman.[First attested in the late 18^thcentury.]
6. (obsolete,dialectal)Having the physical strength;robust;healthy.[First attested from around (1350 to 1470).]

   After the past week of forced marches, only half the men are fullyable.

7. (obsolete)Easy to use.[Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the mid 18^thcentury.]
   • 1710,Thomas Betterton,The life of Mr. Thomas Betterton, the late eminent tragedian.:

     As the hands are the mosthabilparts of the body...

8. (obsolete)Suitable; competent.[Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 18^thcentury.]
   • 2006,Jon L. Wakelyn,America's Founding Charters: Primary Documents of Colonial and Revolutionary Era Governance,volume 1, Greenwood Publishing Group, page212:

     […]and for everyableman servant that he or she shall carry or send armed and provided as aforesaid, ninety acres of land of like measure.

9. (obsolete,dialectal)Liable to.[First attested from around (1350 to 1470).]
10. (obsolete)Rich;well-to-do.[Attested from the mid 16^thcentury until the late 19^thcentury.]

    He was born to anablefamily.

Usage notes

• In standard English, one is "abletodo something ". In some older texts representing various dialects, particularly Irish English, or black speech," ablefordo something "is found instead, and in some Caribbean dialects" ablewith"is sometimes found.

Synonyms

• See alsoThesaurus:skillful

Derived terms

• ability
• able-bodied
• able-bodism
• able-bodyism
• able-bodyist
• ableism
• ableist
• able-minded
• ablenationalism
• ablenationalist
• ableness
• ablenormative
• ablenormativity
• able rating
• able seaman
• ablesplain
• able whackets
• ablings
• ably
• aiblins
• be able(to)
• differently able
• disability
• disable
• disabled
• disablism
• enable
• inable
• reablement
• transableism
• unable

Related terms

• -able,-ible

Translations

healthy—seehealthy

permitted to

• American Sign Language:A@Sternumhigh-PalmDown-A@Sternumhigh-PalmDown A@Chesthigh-PalmDown-A@Chesthigh-PalmDown
• Arabic:قَادِر(ar)(qādir)

  Egyptian Arabic:قادرm(ʔāderr)

• Armenian:ունակ(hy)(unak),կարող(hy)(karoġ)
• Bulgarian:компетентен(bg)(kompetenten),позволен, в състояние да(pozvolen, v sǎstojanie da)
• Burmese:စွမ်း(my)(cwam:)
• Catalan:capaç(ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin:Có thể(zh)(néng),Sẽ／Sẽ(zh)(huì),Nhưng(zh)(kě)

• Czech:schopný(cs)
• Danish:i stand til,have mulighed for
• Dutch:in staat(om(nl)),de(nl)mogelijkheid(nl)hebben(nl)(omte(nl)),bekwaam(nl)
• Esperanto:(to be able)povi(eo),rajti(eo)
• Estonian:suuteline,võimeline
• Finnish:kykenevä(fi),pystyvä(fi),vapaa(fi)
• French:capable(fr)
• German:imstande(de),fähig(de)
• Greek:δυνάμενος(el)(dynámenos),μπορώ να(boró na),είμαι ικανός να(eímai ikanós na)
• Hebrew:יָכֹל(he)(yachol)
• Hungarian:képes(hu),(in the passive sense)-ható(hu),-hető(hu)
• Irish:ábalta,in ann
• Italian:capace(it)
• Japanese:できる(ja)(dekiru)
• Jingpho:dang di lu ai
• Khmer:អាច(km)(’aac)
• Korean:할 수 있는(hal su inneun)
• Latin:potis,potens(la),sanus(la),licens
• Latvian:spējīgs
• Luxembourgish:fäeg,capabel
• Malay:dapat(ms)
• Malayalam:കഴിയുന്ന(kaḻiyunna),പറ്റുന്ന(paṟṟunna)
• Maltese:kapaċi
• Norwegian:i stand
• Persian:توانستن(phát)(tavânestan)
• Polish:móc(pl),mieć możliwość,potrafić(pl)
• Portuguese:possível(pt),permitido(pt)
• Rohingya:fare
• Russian:^{(pleaseverify)}всостоя́нии(v sostojánii),спосо́бный(ru)(sposóbnyj)
• Slovak:schopný
• Spanish:capaz(es),podiente
• Swedish:kapabel(sv),i stånd att,ha möjlighet att
• Turkish:muktedir(tr)
• Ukrainian:в стані(v stani),здатний(uk)(zdatnyj)
• Uyghur:قابىل(qabil),قادىر(qadir)
• Vietnamese:cóphép
• Volapük:fägik(vo)

skillful

• Arabic:قَادِر(ar)(qādir),قَدِير(qadīr),بَارِع(ar)(bāriʕ),مَاهِرm(māhir)

  Egyptian Arabic:شاطرm(šāṭer)

• Armenian:ընդունակ(hy)(əndunak),ճարտար(hy)(čartar)
• Belarusian:здо́льны(zdólʹny)
• Bulgarian:способен, умел, годен(sposoben, umel, goden),кадъ́рен(bg)(kadǎ́ren)
• Burmese:စွမ်း(my)(cwam:)
• Catalan:capaç(ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin:Có thể làm／Có thể làm(zh)(nénggàn),Đắc lực(zh)(délì)

• Czech:schopný(cs)
• Danish:habil(da),kompetent(da),dygtig(da)
• Dutch:competent(nl),handig(nl),bedreven(nl),kundig(nl)
• Esperanto:lerta
• Finnish:taitava(fi),pystyvä(fi),hyvä(fi)
• French:capable(fr),expérimenté(fr)
• Georgian:მარჯვე(marǯve),უნარიანი(unariani)
• German:fähig(de),tüchtig(de)
• Greek:ικανός(el)(ikanós)
• Hebrew:יכול(he)m(yakhool),מסוגלm(mesugal)
• Hindi:समर्थ(hi)(samarth)
• Hungarian:rátermett(hu),ügyes(hu),tehetséges(hu),jó képességű,hozzáértő(hu)
• Indonesian:sanggup(id)
• Irish:ábalta,in ann
• Italian:abile(it)
• Japanese:Có có thể(ja)(yūnō),Cổ tay lợi き(ja)(udekiki)
• Korean:능란한(neungnanhan)
• Latin:potis,potens(la),habilis
• Latvian:izdarīgs,veikls
• Luxembourgish:fäeg,capabel,dichteg
• Macedonian:способен(sposoben)
• Malay:boleh
• Malayalam:കഴിവുള്ള(kaḻivuḷḷa)
• Maltese:kapaċi
• Polish:umiejętny(pl),zręczny(pl),zdolny(pl)
• Portuguese:capaz(pt),hábil(pt)
• Quechua:kuti(qu)
• Romanian:abil(ro),capabil(ro)
• Russian:спосо́бный(ru)(sposóbnyj),уме́лый(ru)(umélyj)
• Sanskrit:समर्थ(sa)(samartha)
• Scottish Gaelic:comasach
• Serbo-Croatian:sposoban(sh),способан,vješt(sh),вјешт,kadar(sh)
• Slovak:schopný
• Spanish:diestro(es),hábil(es),capaz(es)
• Sundanese:kersa
• Swedish:kompetent(sv),skicklig(sv)
• Tocharian B:cämpamo
• Ukrainian:здібний(zdibnyj)
• Vietnamese:cónăng lực,cótài
• Volapük:skilik(vo)
• West Frisian:betûft

legally qualified

• American Sign Language:A@Sternumhigh-PalmDown-A@Sternumhigh-PalmDown A@Chesthigh-PalmDown-A@Chesthigh-PalmDown
• Bulgarian:компетентен(bg)(kompetenten)
• Catalan:competent
• Chinese:

  Mandarin:CóTư cách／CóTư cách(yǒu zīgé)

• Czech:způsobilý(cs)
• Dutch:competent(nl),inaanmerkingkomend,gerechtigd(nl),bevoegd(nl)
• Esperanto:kompetenta(eo)
• Estonian:pädev
• Finnish:pätevä(fi)
• French:habilité(fr)
• German:kompetent(de)
• Greek:αρτιμελής(el)(artimelís),έχων σώας τας φρένας(échon sóas tas frénas)
• Hungarian:jogosult(hu)
• Indonesian:boleh(id)
• Japanese:Có tư cách の(ja)(ゆうしかく の, yūshikaku-no)
• Korean:유자격의(yujagyeogui)
• Latin:potis,potens(la)
• Luxembourgish:kompetent,fäeg,dichteg
• Malayalam:കഴിയുന്ന(kaḻiyunna)
• Portuguese:competente(pt)
• Romanian:abilitatm,competent(ro)m
• Russian:компете́нтный(ru)(kompeténtnyj),полнопра́вный(ru)(polnoprávnyj)
• Slovak:kompetentný
• Spanish:competente(es)
• Vietnamese:cóđủthẩm quyền
• Volapük:duinafägik(vo)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions atWiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Basque:(2)^{(pleaseverify)}gauza,(2)^{(pleaseverify)}gai,(3)^{(pleaseverify)}trebe,(3)^{(pleaseverify)}iaio,(3)^{(pleaseverify)}abil
• Breton:^{(pleaseverify)}gouest da(br)+ verb,(to do something)^{(pleaseverify)}d(br)'ober un dra bennak,^{(pleaseverify)}barrek(br)
• Indonesian:^{(pleaseverify)}mampu(id)
• Lithuanian:^{(pleaseverify)}įgalus
• Rohingya:^{(pleaseverify)}fare
• Telugu:^{(pleaseverify)}శక్తి(te)(śakti)
• Vietnamese:^{(pleaseverify)}cóđủtư cách

Etymology 2

FromMiddle Englishablen,fromMiddle Englishable(adjective).

Verb

able(third-person singular simple presentables,present participleabling,simple past and past participleabled)

1. (transitive,obsolete)To make ready.[Attested from around (1150 to 1350) until the late 16^thcentury.]
2. (transitive,obsolete)To make capable; toenable.[Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 19^thcentury.]
3. (transitive,obsolete)To dress.[Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 15^thcentury.]
4. (transitive,obsolete)To give power to; to reinforce; to confirm.[Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the mid 17^thcentury.]
5. (transitive,obsolete)Tovouch for;to guarantee.[Attested from the late 16^thcentury until the early 17^thcentury.]
   • c.1603–1606,William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”,inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies[…](First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard,andEd[ward]Blount,published1623,→OCLC,[Act IV, scene vi]:

     None does offend, none....I’llable’em.

Derived terms

• abled

Translations

enable—seeenable

vouch for—seevouch for

Etymology 3

From the first letter of the word. Suggested in the 1916United States Army Signal Bookto distinguish the letter when communicating via telephone,and later adopted in other radio and telephone signal standards.

Noun

able(uncountable)

1. (military)The letter "A"inNavy Phonetic Alphabet.

References

• Most glosses:Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief, William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “able”, inThe Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles,5th edition, Oxford, New York, N.Y.:Oxford University Press,→ISBN,page 5.

Anagrams

• Abel,Bale,Beal,Blea,Ebla,Elba,albe,bael,bale,beal,blea

French

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

ablem(pluralables)

1. a vernacular name ofthecommon bleak(usually calledablette)
2. a vernacular name ofthesunbleakormoderlieschen,also calledable de Heckel
3. (rare)a vernacular name ofany of some other related fishes in the genusAlburnus(Cyprinidae)

Further reading

• “able”,inTrésor de la langue française informatisé[Digitized Treasury of the French Language],2012.

Anagrams

• Abel,Bâle,béal,bêla

Middle English

Alternative forms

• hable

Etymology

FromOld Frenchable,habile,fromLatinhabilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/ˈaːbəl/

Adjective

able

1. capable,expert,qualified,skilful,competent.

Descendants

• English:able
• Scots:able,abel,awbel,yible
• →Welsh:abl

References

• “āble,adj.”,inMED Online,Ann Arbor, Mich.:University of Michigan,2007.

Old French

Alternative forms

• abile
• abille
• habile

Etymology

FromLatinhabilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/ˈablə/

Adjective

ablem(oblique and nominative feminine singularable)

1. able;capable

Declension

Declension ofable

Number	Case	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Singular	Subject	ables	able	able
	Oblique	able	able	able
Plural	Subject	able	ables	able
	Oblique	ables	ables	able

Descendants

• French:habile
  • →Romanian:abil
• →Middle Dutch:abel
  • Dutch:abel
• →Middle English:able,habil
  • English:able,habile
    • →Welsh:abl

Scots

Etymology 1

FromMiddle Englishable,fromOld Frenchable,habile,fromLatinhabilis.

Alternative forms

• abel,awbel,yible

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/ebl/
• (Southern Scots)IPA^(key):/jɪbl/
• (Northern Scots)IPA^(key):/ɑːbl/

Adjective

able(superlativeablest)

1. (obsolete)well-to-do,rich
2. substantial
3. physicallyfit,strong
4. shrewd,cute,clever

References

• “able,adj.”,inThe Dictionary of the Scots Language,Edinburgh:Scottish Language Dictionaries,2004–present,→OCLC.

Etymology 2

Adverb

able

1. Alternative form ofaible(“perhaps”)

References

• “able,adv.”,inThe Dictionary of the Scots Language,Edinburgh:Scottish Language Dictionaries,2004–present,→OCLC.