capable
adjective
ca·pa·ble
ˈkā-pə-bəl 
in rapid speech ˈkāp-bəl
1
: susceptible
a remark capable of being misunderstood
2
obsolete
: comprehensive
3
: having attributes (such as physical or mental power) required for performance or accomplishment
is capable of intense concentration
4
: having traits conducive to or features permitting something
this woman is capable of murder by violence—
Robert Graves
Robert Graves5
: having legal right to own, enjoy, or perform
of my land … to make thee capable—Shakespeare
Shakespeare6
: having or showing general efficiency and ability
a capable lawyer
a capable performance
Examples of capable in a Sentence
a capable and efficient editor
Recent Examples on the Web
The business is now in the capable hands of fourth- and fifth-generation relatives, who continue to uphold the traditions and values set by Louis and Regina Graeter.
—Ronny Maye, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
Their larvae are capable of chewing through cardboard boxes and plastic bags, meaning even unopened packages of food are at risk for infestation.
—Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 19 July 2025
The Skyrunner is capable of carrying a ~550-lb (250-kg) payload seemingly effortlessly with just a single person pushing and pulling the payload around.
—Joe Salas
july 19, New Atlas, 19 July 2025
Hong Kong has more than 11,000 public EV chargers, but only about 2,000 are quick or fast chargers, capable of restoring batteries to 80% in 30 to 60 minutes.
—Clay Chandler, Fortune, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for capable
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Ronny Maye, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
Their larvae are capable of chewing through cardboard boxes and plastic bags, meaning even unopened packages of food are at risk for infestation.
—Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 19 July 2025
The Skyrunner is capable of carrying a ~550-lb (250-kg) payload seemingly effortlessly with just a single person pushing and pulling the payload around.
—Joe Salas
july 19, New Atlas, 19 July 2025
Hong Kong has more than 11,000 public EV chargers, but only about 2,000 are quick or fast chargers, capable of restoring batteries to 80% in 30 to 60 minutes.
—Clay Chandler, Fortune, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for capable
Cite this Entry
“Capable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capable. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
capable
adjective
ca·pa·ble
ˈkā-pə-bəl
1
: having the qualities (as physical or mental power) to do or accomplish something
you are capable of better work
2
: having qualities or features permitting
a new train capable of very high speeds
3
: able to do one's job well : generally efficient
tries to hire capable people
capability
noun
ˌkā-pə-ˈbil-ət-ē
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