[f. CAPABLE: see -bility, -ITY. Of mod. English formation; there is no similar word in French.] The quality of being capable in various senses.
† 1. The quality of having room for any thing; ability to receive or contain. Cf. CAPACITY. Obs.
1626. Bullokar, Capability, an aptnesse to containe or receiue.
1627. Hakewill, Apol., 209 (R.). Discoursing of the Arke & the capability thereof.
1656. in Blount, Glossogr.
2. Power or ability in general, whether physical or mental; capacity.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, xv. 240. The abilitie or capabilitie that is in men to vnderstand things.
1602. Shaks., Ham., IV. iv. 38. He … gaue vs not That capability and god-like reason to fust in us vnused.
1825. McCulloch, Pol. Econ. II. ii. 125. Commodities, for the production of which they have no natural capability.
1856. Sir B. Brodie, Psychol. Inq., I. iii. 91. The capability of fixing the attention is almost entirely destroyed.
3. Legal or moral qualification or capacity.
1684. Bunyan, Pilgr., II. 58. The Righteousness of his Manhood giveth capability to his obedience to justifie.
1846. G. Phillips, in Spurgeon, Treas. Dav., Ps. cv. 22. The capability of binding is to be regarded as an evidence of authority.
4. The quality of being susceptible of, or admitting of treatment, in any specified manner.
1794. G. Adams, Nat. & Exp. Philos., II. xix. 331. If the ray … have exactly the same capability or disposition to be refracted by the prism.
1816. Keatinge, Trav. (1817), I. 246. The charge has been very near capability of substantiation.
1875. Jevons, Money (1878), 40. The capability of a substance to receive such an impression. Ibid. The capability of a substance for being easily recognized.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., I. 166. The capability of rapid movement.
5. (usually pl.) An undeveloped faculty or property; a condition, physical or otherwise, capable of being converted or turned to use. Capability-man, one who makes it his business to discover the capabilities of estates.
1778. Phil. Surv. S. Irel., 169. Here are all the capabilities for a terrestrial paradise.
1831. Disraeli, Yng. Duke, I. vi. (L.). Sir Carte … was immensely struck with Hauteville, particularly with its capabilities.
1841. Emerson, Nature, viii. Meth. Nat., Wks. (Bohn), II. 221.
1882. A. W. Ward, Dickens, ii. 23. It was only as the author proceeded that he recognised the capabilities of the character.
1887. G. B. Hill, Boswell’s Johns., III. 400, note. [‘Capability Brown’] got his nickname from his habit of saying that grounds which he was asked to lay out had capabilities.
