able
able Lexical Profile
able Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Having the power, skill, means, or opportunity to do something (typically used predicatively with a following infinitive).
"Will you be able to attend the conference in Chicago next month?"
Having considerable skill, proficiency, intelligence, or competence in a particular field or endeavor.
"The board appointed an able negotiator to resolve the longstanding contract dispute."
Word Nuance & Usage
In its primary sense of having the power, means, or opportunity to do something, 'able' is used exclusively as a predicate adjective followed by a to-infinitive (e.g., 'she is able to swim'). When used attributively before a noun (e.g., 'an able administrator'), it specifically denotes high competence, skill, or talent.
• Rhymes for able
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in Middle English from Old French 'hable' or 'able', which derives from the Latin adjective 'habilis' meaning 'easily handled, adaptable, or suitable', itself formed from the verb 'habere' ('to hold or have').