Meaning & use
abilities
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“abilities” is a form of “ability”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
Skills or talents that let a person or thing do something well.
Grammar: Plural of ability: her abilities impressed everyone.
Patterns
- someone's abilities
- abilities in something
The teacher noticed the children's different abilities in reading and math.
Her abilities as a leader became clear during the crisis.
Tests measure a range of mental abilities.
nounplural
Natural powers or capacities that someone has, sometimes beyond ordinary level.
Grammar: Often used for special powers in stories and games.
Patterns
- special abilities
- abilities of something
The hero has strange abilities, including flying.
Dolphins have remarkable abilities to learn from each other.
The game lets you choose a character with unique abilities.
Word forms
| singular | ability |
|---|
Common combinations
- natural abilities
- He relied on his natural abilities rather than training.
- mental abilities
- The course tests mental abilities such as memory.
- to the best of your abilities
- She did her job to the best of her abilities.
- special abilities
- The student has special abilities in music.
- develop abilities
- Games can help children develop abilities in problem solving.
Synonyms and how they differ
- skills
- Skills are learned through practice, while abilities may be natural or learned.
- talents
- Talents are natural gifts that are above ordinary, whereas abilities can be average.
- capabilities
- Capabilities stresses what someone or a machine is able to do, and is common in business and technology.
- powers
- Powers suggests strength or special force, and is more common in fiction or when describing authority.
Opposites
Word family
- ability noun
- the power or skill to do something
- able adjective
- having the power or skill to do something
- unable adjective
- not able to do something
- disability noun
- a condition that limits some activities
- enable verb
- to make it possible for someone to do something
Commonly confused: abilities or abilities vs. possibilities?
abilities vs abilities vs. possibilities
Abilities are what a person can do, while possibilities are things that might happen.
Practice
She did the job to the best of her ____.
Choose one answer.
The idiom to the best of your abilities means as well as you can. The other nouns do not fit this fixed phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “abilities”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.