Thesaurus: able

Related headwords

Definitions

1. superl. Fit; adapted; suitable.
2. superl. Having sufficient power, strength, force, skill, means, or resources of any kind to accomplish the object; possessed of qualifications rendering competent for some end; competent; qualified; capable; as, an able workman, soldier, seaman, a man able to work; a mind able to reason; a person able to be generous; able to endure pain; able to play on a piano.
3. superl. Specially: Having intellectual qualifications, or strong mental powers; showing ability or skill; talented; clever; powerful; as, the ablest man in the senate; an able speech.
4. superl. Legally qualified; possessed of legal competence; as, able to inherit or devise property.
5. a. To make able; to enable; to strengthen.
6. a. To vouch for.
7. adj. (usually followed by ‘to’) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
8. adj. have the skills and qualifications to do things well
9. adj. having inherent physical or mental ability or capacity
10. adj. having a strong healthy body
11. 1. Fit; adapted; suitable. [Obs.] A many man, to ben an abbot able. Chaucer. 2. Having sufficient power, strength, force, skill, means, or resources of any kind to accomplish the object; possessed of qualifications rendering competent for some end; competent; qualified; capable; as, an able workman, soldier, seaman, a man able to work; a mind able to reason; a person able to be generous; able to endure pain; able to play on a piano. 3. Specially: Having intellectual qualifications, or strong mental powers; showing ability or skill; talented; clever; powerful; as, the ablest man in the senate; an able speech. No man wrote abler state papers. Macaulay. 4. (Law) Legally qualified; possessed of legal competence; as, able to inherit or devise property. Note: Able for, is Scotticism. "Hardly able for such a march." Robertson. Syn. -- Competent; qualified; fitted; efficient; effective; capable; skillful; clever; vigorous; powerful. 1. To make able; to enable; to strengthen. Chaucer. 2. To vouch for. "I 'll able them." Shak. An adjective suffix now usually in a passive sense; able to be; fit to be; expressing capacity or worthiness in a passive sense; as, movable, able to be moved; amendable, able to be amended; blamable, fit to be blamed; salable. Note: The form ible is used in the same sense. Note: It is difficult to say when we are not to use -able instead of -ible. "Yet a rule may be laid down as to when we are to use it. To all verbs, then, from the Anglo-Saxon, to all based on the uncorrupted infinitival stems of Latin verbs of the first conjugation, and to all substantives, whencesoever sprung, we annex - able only." Fitzed. Hall.
12. Legally qualified; possessed of legal competence; as, able toinherit or devise property.