What does "capacity" mean?
The ability to hold, receive, or absorb.
Capacity
/kəˈpæ.sɪ.ti/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The ability to hold, receive, or absorb.
- Grammar: capacity is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: abilities, ability, ability to cause change, ability to work.
- Useful contrasts: unable to work now, incapability, incapacities.
- Usage evidence: Our factories are working at full capacity.
How to use "capacity"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "capacity" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "capacity" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "capacity" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "capacity" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "capacity" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abilities" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "capacity", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The ability to hold, receive, or absorb. countable, uncountable
- 2 a specified function wordnet
- 3 A measure of such ability; volume. countable, uncountable
- 4 the maximum production possible wordnet
- 5 A measure of such ability; volume.; The maximum amount that can be held. countable, uncountable
"It was hauling a capacity load."
Show 15 more definitions
- 6 tolerance for alcohol wordnet
- 7 Capability; the ability to perform some task. countable, uncountable
"Surprisingly few men are lacking in capacity, but they fail because they are lacking in application. Either they never learn how to work, or, having learned, they are too indolent to apply themselves with the seriousness and the attention that is necessary to solve important problems."
- 8 capability to perform or produce wordnet
- 9 The maximum that can be produced. countable, uncountable
- 10 the power to learn or retain knowledge; in law, the ability to understand the facts and significance of your behavior wordnet
- 11 The maximum that can be produced.; The maximum that can be produced on a machine or in a facility or group. countable, uncountable
"Its capacity rating was 150 tons per hour, but its actual maximum capacity was 200 tons per hour."
- 12 an electrical phenomenon whereby an electric charge is stored wordnet
- 13 The potential for growth and development. countable, uncountable
- 14 (computer science) the amount of information (in bytes) that can be stored on a disk drive wordnet
- 15 The potential for growth and development.; Mental ability; the power to learn; countable, uncountable
- 16 the amount that can be contained wordnet
- 17 A role; the position in which one functions. countable, uncountable
- 18 the susceptibility of something to a particular treatment wordnet
- 19 A role; the position in which one functions.; Legal authority (to make an arrest for example). countable, uncountable
- 20 Electrical capacitance. countable, uncountable
Adjective
- 1 Filling the allotted space. not-comparable
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Our factories are working at full capacity."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "capacity"?
Common synonyms include: abilities, ability, ability to cause change, ability to work, ableness, accommodating.
How do you use "capacity" in a sentence?
Our factories are working at full capacity.
How do you pronounce "capacity"?
Pronounced /kəˈpæ.sɪ.ti/.
Etymology
From Middle English capacite, from Old French capacite, from Latin capācitās, from capāx (“able to hold much”), from capiō (“to hold, to contain, to take, to understand”).