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 progression from current experimental implants to commercially available products capable of enabling telepathy or telekinesis will likely require several more years of clinical testing and regulatory approvals.
—Luis E. Romero, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
Chris is a brilliant forensic accountant capable of parsing weeks worth of complicated bookkeeping in a night, and spotting patterns others have missed.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2025
None of this is easy to watch for audiences who love animals, even if these unicorns are dark and fairly menacing in their appearance — not to mention perfectly capable of defending themselves.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 Mar. 2025
Join 2 others in the comments View Comments The finding suggests that hominins were capable of critical thinking and innovative craftsmanship, but scientists are still trying to figure out who exactly made the tools.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for capable
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Luis E. Romero, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
Chris is a brilliant forensic accountant capable of parsing weeks worth of complicated bookkeeping in a night, and spotting patterns others have missed.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2025
None of this is easy to watch for audiences who love animals, even if these unicorns are dark and fairly menacing in their appearance — not to mention perfectly capable of defending themselves.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 Mar. 2025
Join 2 others in the comments View Comments The finding suggests that hominins were capable of critical thinking and innovative craftsmanship, but scientists are still trying to figure out who exactly made the tools.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 8 Mar. 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 12 Mar. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share