Etymologically
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capability

Etymology and origin of the English word capability

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1587
Ultimate origin
English (capable)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˌkeɪ.pəˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/, /ˌkeɪ.pəˈbɪl.ə.ti/ (UK); /ˌkeɪ.pəˈbɪl.ə.ti/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is capable with the suffix -ity,[2][3] on the model of Late Latin capābilis.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Power or ability in general, physical or mental: 1587, the 1580s in Etymonline.[5][4][2]

Semantic evolution

The quality of having room for something, ability to contain, is from 1616,[5] and legal or moral qualification from 1684.[5] Capabilities, in the plural, undeveloped faculties or properties, is attested from 1778.[2][5] Being open to a particular treatment, as the capability of a metal to be fused, is from 1794.[5][6]

Timeline

  • 1587 – ability.[5]
  • 1616 – capacity to contain.[5]
  • 1684 – legal qualification.[5]
  • 1778 – capabilities, potential.[5]
  • 1794 – susceptibility to treatment.[5]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The quality of being capable; ability.
  2. A talent or ability that can be developed; potential.
  3. The capacity to be used or treated in a particular way.

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
Cite this entry

“Capability.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/capability. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·