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Able
Definitions
- 1 Having the necessary powers or the needed resources to accomplish a task.
"She is able to lift the box without assistance."
- 2 Free from constraints preventing completion of task; permitted to; not prevented from.
"In a democratic world you'd be able to say what you thought wherever you were."
- 3 Gifted with skill, intelligence, knowledge, or competence.
"The chairman was also an able sailor."
- 4 Legally qualified or competent.
"He is able to practice law in six states."
- 5 Capable of performing all the requisite duties; as an able seaman.
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- 6 Having the physical strength; robust; healthy. dialectal, obsolete
"After the past week of forced marches, only half the men are fully able."
- 7 Easy to use. obsolete
"As the hands are the most habil parts of the body..."
- 8 Suitable; competent. obsolete
"[…] and for every able man servant that he or she shall carry or send armed and provided as aforesaid, ninety acres of land of like measure."
- 9 Liable to. dialectal, obsolete
- 10 Rich; well-to-do. obsolete
"He was born to an able family."
- 1 (usually followed by ‘to’) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something wordnet
- 2 having inherent physical or mental ability or capacity wordnet
- 3 have the skills and qualifications to do things well wordnet
- 4 having a strong healthy body wordnet
- 1 A surname.
- 2 Acronym of Achieving a Better Life Experience, a savings account for people with disabilities. US, abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
"This provision permanently allows designated beneficiaries who make qualified contributions to their ABLE account to qualify for the Saver’s Credit."
- 1 The letter "A" in Navy Phonetic Alphabet. uncountable
- 2 radiotelephony clear-code word for the letter A.
- 1 To make ready. obsolete, transitive
- 2 To make capable; to enable. obsolete, transitive
- 3 To dress. obsolete, transitive
- 4 To give power to; to reinforce; to confirm. obsolete, transitive
- 5 To vouch for; to guarantee. obsolete, transitive
"None does offend, none....I’ll able ’em."
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- 6 present participle and gerund of can form-of, gerund, participle, present
"I might be able to go."
Etymology
From Middle English able, from Old Northern French able, variant of Old French abile, habile, from Latin habilis (“easily managed, held, or handled; apt; skillful”). Broadly ousted the native Old English magan (modern English may and might), which has taken a different meaning.
From Middle English ablen, from Middle English able (adjective).
From the first letter of the word. Suggested in the 1916 United States Army Signal Book to distinguish the letter when communicating via telephone, and later adopted in other radio and telephone signal standards.
See also for "able"
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Unscramble this word: able