able

English Online Dictionary. What means able‎? What does able mean?

English

Alternative forms

• (obsolete) hable

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈeɪbl̩/, [ˈeɪ̯.bɫ̩]
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈeɪb(ə)l/
• (L-Vocalisation) IPA^(key): [ˈeɪ̯.bw]
• Homophone: Abel
• Rhymes: -eɪbəl

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)

1. Having the necessary powers or the needed resources to accomplish a task. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470).]

2. Free from constraints preventing completion of task; permitted to; not prevented from. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470).]

3. Gifted with skill, intelligence, knowledge, or competence. [First attested in the mid 16^th century.]
4. (law) Legally qualified or competent. [First attested in the early 18^th century.]

5. (nautical) Capable of performing all the requisite duties; as an able seaman. [First attested in the late 18^th century.]
6. (obsolete, dialectal) Having the physical strength; robust; healthy. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470).]

7. (obsolete) Easy to use. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the mid 18^th century.]
8. (obsolete) Suitable; competent. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 18^th century.]
9. (obsolete, dialectal) Liable to. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470).]
10. (obsolete) Rich; well-to-do. [Attested from the mid 16^th century until the late 19^th century.]

Usage notes

• In standard English, one is "able to do something". In some older texts representing various dialects, particularly Irish English, or black speech, "able for do something" is found instead, and in some Caribbean dialects "able with" is sometimes found.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:skillful

Derived terms

Related terms

• -able, -ible

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English ablen, from Middle English able (adjective).

Verb

able (third-person singular simple present ables, present participle abling, simple past and past participle abled)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To make ready. [Attested from around (1150 to 1350) until the late 16^th century.]
2. (transitive, obsolete) To make capable; to enable. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 19^th century.]
3. (transitive, obsolete) To dress. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 15^th century.]
4. (transitive, obsolete) To give power to; to reinforce; to confirm. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the mid 17^th century.]
5. (transitive, obsolete) To vouch for; to guarantee. [Attested from the late 16^th century until the early 17^th century.]

Derived terms

• abled

Translations

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, and later adopted in other radio and telephone signal standards.

Noun

able (uncountable)

1. (military) The letter "A" in Navy Phonetic Alphabet.

References

• Most glosses: 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.

Anagrams

• Abel, Bale, Beal, Blea, Ebla, Elba, albe, bael, bale, beal, blea

French

Pronunciation

Noun

able m (plural ables)

1. a vernacular name of the common bleak (usually called ablette)
2. a vernacular name of the sunbleak or moderlieschen, also called able de Heckel
3. (rare) a vernacular name of any of some other related fishes in the genus Alburnus (Cyprinidae)

Further reading

• “able”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• Abel, Bâle, béal, bêla

Middle English

Alternative forms

• hable

Etymology

From Old French able, habile, from Latin habilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaːbəl/

Adjective

able

1. capable, expert, qualified, skilful, competent.

Descendants

• English: able
• Scots: able, abel, awbel, yible
• → Welsh: abl

References

• “āble, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Old French

Alternative forms

• abile
• abille
• habile

Etymology

From Latin habilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈablə/

Adjective

able m (oblique and nominative feminine singular able)

1. able; capable

Declension

Descendants

• French: habile
  • → Romanian: abil
• → Middle Dutch: abel
  • Dutch: abel
• → Middle English: able, habil
  • English: able, habile
    • → Welsh: abl

Scots

Etymology 1

From Middle English able, from Old French able, habile, from Latin habilis.

Alternative forms

• abel, awbel, yible

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ebl/
• (Southern Scots) IPA^(key): /jɪbl/
• (Northern Scots) IPA^(key): /ɑːbl/

Adjective

able (superlative ablest)

1. (obsolete) well-to-do, rich
2. substantial
3. physically fit, strong
4. shrewd, cute, clever

References

• “able, adj.”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC.

Etymology 2

Adverb

able

1. Alternative form of aible (“perhaps”)

References

• “able, adv.”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC.