inability

in·abil·i·ty

noun \ˌi-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē\

Definition of INABILITY

: lack of sufficient power, resources, or capacity <his inability to do mathematics>

Examples of INABILITY

1. She has shown an inability to concentrate.
2. the inability of the government to cope with the problem

Origin of INABILITY

Middle English inhabilite disqualification, from Medieval Latin inhabilitas, from Latin in- + habilitas ability

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to INABILITY

Synonyms: impotence, inadequacy, incapability, incapacity, incompetence, incompetency, ineptitude, insufficiency, powerlessness

Antonyms: ability, adequacy, capability, capacity, competence, competency, potency

Related Words: disqualification, inaptitude; ineffectiveness, ineffectuality, ineffectualness, inefficaciousness, inefficacy, inefficiency

Near Antonyms: aptitude, bent, endowment, flair, genius, gift, knack, talent; effectiveness, effectualness, efficaciousness, efficiency; fitness, suitability, suitableness; potency, power, puissance, sinew, strength

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Rhymes with INABILITY

actability, affability, arability, audibility, bankability, bearability, biddability, breathability, brushability, capability, changeability, clubbability, coilability, contractility, countability, credibility, crossability, culpability, curability, cutability, disability, disutility, drapability, drillability, drinkability, drivability, durability, dyeability, edibility, equability, erectility, fallibility, feasibility, fishability, flammability, flexibility, forgeability, formability, frangibility, friability, fungibility, fusibility, gullibility, hatchability, ignobility, imbecility, immobility, incivility, indocility, infantility, infertility, instability, inutility, juvenility, leachability, legibility, liability, likability, livability, lovability, mailability, meltability, miscibility, movability, mutability, notability, packability, placability, plausibility, playability, pliability, portability, possibility, potability, pregnability, prehensility, printability, probability, puerility, readability, rentability, risibility, roadability, salability, sensibility, sewability, shareability, sociability, solubility, solvability, spreadability, squeezability, stainability, stretchability, suitability, tenability, testability, traceability, trainability, treatability, tunability, usability, vendibility, versatility, viability, visibility, volatility, washability, wearability, wettability, workability