Etymology 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”). Doublet of habile.
Having the necessary powers or the needed resources to accomplish a task.
She is able to lift the box without assistance.
2
Free from constraints preventing completion of task; permitted to; not prevented from.
In a democratic world you'd be able to say what you thought wherever you were.
I'll see you as soon as I'm able.
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With that obstacle removed, I am now able to proceed with my plan.
3
Gifted with skill, intelligence, knowledge, or competence.
The chairman was also an able sailor.
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.1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Youth and Age. XLII.”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC, pages 247–248:
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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: […]’1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XXXVII”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 57:
[…] 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.2006, Jon L. Wakelyn, America's Founding Charters: Primary Documents of Colonial and Revolutionary Era Governance, volume 1, Greenwood Publishing Group, page 212:
None does offend, none....I’ll able ’em.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]:
6
Gerund, Participle, Present present participle and gerund of can
World War II era; joint US/RAF; World War II era; joint US/RAF
able
noun
Etymology 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.