Meaning & use
inability
A lack of the power, skill, or means to do something.
See it in a sentence
His inability to speak the local language made the trip more difficult than expected.
The company's inability to meet demand led several customers to switch suppliers.
A note on using this word
Inability is usually followed by an infinitive verb, as in 'inability to focus' or 'inability to pay.'
Words with a similar meaning
incapacityincompetence
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
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