# capable

Pronunciation: say "KAY-puh-buhl" /ˈkeɪ.pə.bəl/

## Adjective

1. Having the ability, skill, or efficiency needed to perform a particular task.
   - Simple: Having the skill or power to do something well.
   - _He proved himself a capable leader throughout the long crisis._
   - _This year's team is far more capable than the last._
2. Used with of to say what a person or thing is able or likely to do or become, often something bad or unexpected.
   - Simple: Able or likely to do or become something, often something bad or surprising.
   - _Under enough pressure, even honest people are capable of lying._
   - _Left untreated, a minor infection is capable of becoming life-threatening._

## Adjective

3. Having enough size or capacity to hold, contain, or receive something. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Big enough to hold or take in something.

## Origin

Borrowed from Middle French capable, which derives from Late Latin capābilis.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/capable (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).