Meanings
plural inabilities
- countableuncountableLack of the ability to do something; incapability.
[…] tho' theſe ſeem'd to be very unfit Inſtruments for compaſſing of that great Deſign for which they were then employ'd, becauſe of their Inability and Uncapacity in performing the Work ſo very great and important; […]
1720, John Shaw, “Of Religion”, in The Fundamental Doctrines of the Church of England, […], volume I, London: […] George Strahan, […] William Mears, […], page 361 more example
The Premier League leaders did what many people thought was beyond them in their last European excursion, at the home of Borussia Dortmund, and they made light work of overcoming Marseille on a night when the one-sidedness was not reflected by their inability to add to Jack Wilshere's two goals.
2013 November 26, Daniel Taylor, “Jack Wilshere scores twice to ease Arsenal to victory over Marseille”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 14 Oct 2019 - countableuncountableLack of the option to do something; powerlessness.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounlack of ability (especially mental ability) to do something
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From earlier inhability (“disqualification for office”), equivalent to in- + ability. Compare Middle French inhabilité, Medieval Latin inhabilitās.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian неспособност
- неспособност (nesposobnost)lack of the ability to do something; incapability
Dutch onvermogen, impotentie
- onvermogenlack of the ability to do something; incapability
- impotentielack of the ability to do something; incapability
Esperanto nekapableco, senpoveco
- nekapablecolack of the ability to do something; incapability
- senpovecolack of the option to do something; powerlessness
Finnish kyvyttömyys, kykenemättömyys
- kyvyttömyyslack of the ability to do something; incapability
- kykenemättömyyslack of the ability to do something; incapability
French incapacité
- incapacitélack of the ability to do something; incapability
German Unfähigkeit, Unvermögen
- Unfähigkeitlack of the ability to do something; incapability
- Unvermögenlack of the ability to do something; incapability
Greek αδυναμία
- αδυναμία (adynamía)lack of the ability to do something; incapability
Hindi अक्षमता, असमर्थता
- अक्षमता (akṣamtā)lack of the ability to do something; incapability
- असमर्थता (asmarthatā)lack of the ability to do something; incapability
- असमर्थता (asmarthatā)lack of the option to do something; powerlessness
Japanese 無能
- 無能 (munō)lack of the ability to do something; incapability
Polish niemożność, niezdolność
- niemożnośćlack of the ability to do something; incapability
- niezdolnośćlack of the ability to do something; incapability
- nieumiejętnośćlack of the ability to do something; incapability
Portuguese inabilidade, incapacidade
- inabilidadelack of the ability to do something; incapability
- incapacidadelack of the ability to do something; incapability
Romanian incapacitate, incapabilitate
- incapacitatelack of the ability to do something; incapability
- incapabilitatelack of the ability to do something; incapability
- neputințălack of the ability to do something; incapability
Russian неспосо́бность, невозмо́жность
- неспосо́бность (nesposóbnostʹ)lack of the ability to do something; incapability
- невозмо́жность (nevozmóžnostʹ)lack of the ability to do something; incapability
- неуме́ние (neuménije)lack of the ability to do something; incapability
Spanish incapacidad
- incapacidadlack of the ability to do something; incapability
Swedish oförmåga
- oförmågalack of the ability to do something; incapability
Ukrainian незда́тність, неспромо́жність
- незда́тність (nezdátnistʹ)lack of the ability to do something; incapability
- неспромо́жність (nespromóžnistʹ)lack of the ability to do something; incapability
- невмі́ння (nevmínnja)lack of the ability to do something; incapability
- неможли́вість (nemožlývistʹ)lack of the option to do something; powerlessness
Cite this entry
inability. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inability
“inability.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inability. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “inability,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inability.
Source: inability on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.