able

Meaning of able

adjective
  1. having the power, skill, means, or opportunity to do something.
    he was able to read Greek at the age of eight
    they would never be able to afford such a big house
  2. having considerable skill, proficiency, or intelligence.
    the dancers were technically very able

late Middle English (also in the sense ‘easy to use, suitable’): from Old French hable, from Latin habilis ‘handy’, from habere ‘to hold’.

suffix
  1. (forming adjectives) able to be.
    calculable
  2. (forming adjectives) to be.
    payable
  3. (forming adjectives) subject to.
    taxable
  4. (forming adjectives) relevant to or in accordance with.
    fashionable
  5. (forming adjectives) having the quality to.
    suitable
    comfortable

from French -able or Latin -abilis ; originally found in words only from these forms but later used to form adjectives directly from English verbs ending in -ate, e.g. educable from educate ; subsequently used to form adjectives from verbs of all types (influenced by the unrelated word able), e.g. bearable, saleable .

Information about able

Hyphenation of able

able

  • It consists of 1 syllables and 4 chars.
  • able is a word monosyllabic because it has one syllable

able synonyms

Meaning capable:

capable

Meaning having or showing intelligence, especially of a high level:

intelligent

Meaning quick to understand, learn, and devise or apply ideas; intelligent:

clever

Meaning exceptionally clever or talented:

brilliant

Meaning having a natural aptitude or skill for something:

talented

Meaning having or showing skill:

skilful

Meaning based on or proceeding from the ability to do something well:

skilled

Meaning highly trained or skilled in a particular activity:

accomplished

Meaning having exceptional talent or natural ability:

gifted

Meaning showing great skill; very accomplished:

masterly

Meaning a person highly skilled in music or another artistic pursuit:

virtuoso

Meaning having or involving a great deal of knowledge or skill in a particular area:

expert

Meaning competent or skilled in doing or using something:

proficient

Meaning quick to learn:

apt

Meaning skilled at doing or dealing with a specified thing:

good

Meaning clever or skilful:

adroit

Meaning very skilled or proficient at something:

adept

Meaning officially recognized as being trained to perform a particular job; certified:

qualified

Meaning having the requisite qualities or skills to undertake something competently:

fit

Meaning right or appropriate for a particular person, purpose, or situation:

suited, suitable

Meaning (of a person) efficient and capable:

competent

Meaning (of a system or machine) achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense:

efficient

Meaning successful in producing a desired or intended result:

effective

Meaning very clever or ingenious:

genius

able antonyms

Meaning not having or showing the necessary skills to do something successfully:

incompetent

Meaning unable to do or achieve (something):

incapable

Meaning having or showing no skill; clumsy:

inept

Translation of able

Anagrams of able

Abel, abel, albe, Bael, Bale, bale, Beal, beal, Bela, bela, blae, blea, Elba, Labe

Words that rhyme with able

absorbable, adsorbable, ascribable, bable, bioabsorbable, bioresorbable, bombable, bribable, circumscribable, climbable, clubable, clubbable, crumbable, curbable, describable, equiprobable, grabbable, imperturbable, imprescribable, improbable, indescribable, indisturbable, inscribable, mobable, mobbable, nonabsorbable, nonclimbable, nondescribable, nonperturbable, nonprobable, perturbable, plumbable, prescribable, probable, proscribable, resorbable, scribable, scrubbable, snubbable, sorbable, subscribable, superimprobable, transcribable, tubbable, unabsorbable, unascribable, unbribable, uncircumscribable, unclimbable, unclubable

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