able
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Alternative forms
- (obsolete) hable
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle English able, from Old Northern French able, variant of Old French abile, habile, from Latin habilis (“easily managed, held, or handled; apt; skillful”), from habeō (“have, possess”) + -ibilis.
Broadly ousted the native Old English magan.
Adjective
able (comparative abler, superlative ablest)
- Having the necessary powers or the needed resources to accomplish a task. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470).][1]
- Free from constraints preventing completion of task; permitted to; not prevented from. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470).][1]
- I’ll see you as soon as I’m able.
- With that obstacle removed, I am now able to proceed with my plan.
- I’m only able to visit you when I have other work here.
- That cliff is able to be climbed.
- Gifted with skill, intelligence, knowledge, or competence. [First attested in the mid 16th century.][1]
- The chairman was also an able sailor.
- 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Youth and Age. XLII.”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC, pages 247–248:
- Natures that haue much Heat, and great and violent deſires and Perturbations, are not ripe for Action, till they haue paſſed the Meridian of their yeares: As it was with Iulius Cæſar, and Septimius Seuerus. […] And yet he [Septimus Severus] was the Ableſt Emperour, almoſt, of all the Liſt.
- 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto XXXVII, page 57:
- Urania speaks with darken’d brow:
‘Thou pratest here where thou art least;
This faith has many a purer priest,
And many an abler voice than thou: […] ’
- (law) Legally qualified or competent. [First attested in the early 18th century.][1]
- He is able to practice law in six states.
- (nautical) Capable of performing all the requisite duties; as an able seaman. [First attested in the late 18th century.][1]
- (obsolete, dialectal) Having the physical strength; robust; healthy. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470).][1]
- After the past week of forced marches, only half the men are fully able.
- (obsolete) Easy to use. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the mid 18th century.][1]
- 1710, Thomas Betterton, The life of Mr. Thomas Betterton, the late eminent tragedian.:
- As the hands are the most habil parts of the body...
- (obsolete) Suitable; competent. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 18th century.][1]
- 2006, Jon L. Wakelyn, America's Founding Charters: Primary Documents of Colonial and Revolutionary Era Governance, volume 1, Greenwood Publishing Group, page 212:
- […] and for every able man servant that he or she shall carry or send armed and provided as aforesaid, ninety acres of land of like measure.
- (obsolete, dialectal) Liable to. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470).][1]
- (obsolete) Rich; well-to-do. [Attested from the mid 16th century until the late 19th century.][1]
- He was born to an able family.
Usage notes
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:skillful
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
healthy — see healthy
permitted to
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skillful
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legally qualified
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Etymology 2
From Middle English ablen, from Middle English able (adjective).[4]
Verb
able (third-person singular simple present ables, present participle abling, simple past and past participle abled)
- (transitive, obsolete) To make ready. [Attested from around (1150 to 1350) until the late 16th century.][1]
- (transitive, obsolete) To make capable; to enable. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 19th century.][1]
- (transitive, obsolete) To dress. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 15th century.][1]
- (transitive, obsolete) To give power to; to reinforce; to confirm. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the mid 17th century.][1]
- (transitive, obsolete) To vouch for; to guarantee. [Attested from the late 16th century until the early 17th century.][1]
- c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vi]:
- None does offend, none....I’ll able ’em.
Derived terms
Translations
enable — see enable
vouch for — see vouch for
Etymology 3
From the first letter of the word. Suggested in the 1916 United States Army Signal Book to distinguish the letter when communicating via telephone,[5] and later adopted in other radio and telephone signal standards.
Noun
able (uncountable)
- (military) The letter "A" in Navy Phonetic Alphabet.
References
- Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief, William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “able”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 5.
- Joseph Wright, editor (1898), “ABLE”, in The English Dialect Dictionary: […], volume I (A–C), London: Henry Frowde, […], publisher to the English Dialect Society, […]; New York, N.Y.: G[eorge] P[almer] Putnam’s Sons, →OCLC.
- Richard Allsopp, Jeannette Allsopp, Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage (2003), entry "able"
Anagrams
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