ability

/əˈbɪləti/

noun

  1. the physical or mental power or skill needed to do something

    A2

    countable/uncountable; often followed by 'to' + infinitive: ability to do something

    • "She has the ability to learn languages very quickly."A2
    • "After the accident, he lost the ability to walk."B1
    • "His ability to explain difficult ideas makes him a good teacher."B1
    • "The course is designed to develop students' ability to think critically."B2

  2. a particular skill or talent that someone has

    B1

    countable; often plural

    • "He is a musician of great ability."B1
    • "The job requires good communication abilities."B2
    • "Her ability as a negotiator is widely recognized."C1

  3. intelligence or competence in general

    B2

    uncountableformal

    • "Students are grouped by ability in this school."B1
    • "We were impressed by the ability of the team."B2
    • "The test measures both ability and effort."C1

Common mistakes

  • She has the ability of swimming.→She has the ability to swim.

    'Ability' is followed by 'to' + infinitive, not by 'of' + -ing.

  • He has ability to speak three languages.→He has the ability to speak three languages.

    When talking about a specific ability, use 'the ability to ...'.

Collocations

natural abilitythe ability to do somethingto the best of your abilitylose the ability tohave the ability toartistic abilityability to learn

Word family

ableunableablyenabledisabledisabledinability