inability


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Related to inability: inability to conceive

in·a·bil·i·ty

 (ĭn′ə-bĭl′ĭ-tē)
n.
Lack of ability or means.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

inability

(ˌɪnəˈbɪlɪtɪ)
n
lack of ability or means; incapacity
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

in•a•bil•i•ty

(ˌɪn əˈbɪl ɪ ti)

n.
lack of ability.
[1400–50; late Middle English < Medieval Latin]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

inability

  • acalculia - The inability to perform simple arithmetic.
  • impotence, sterility - Impotence is the male's inability to copulate or get an erection; sterility is the inability of either a male or female to procreate.
  • abulia, aboulia - Inability to make decisions is abulia or aboulia.
  • paramnesia - Can mean the inability to recall the meanings of common words.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.inability - lack of ability (especially mental ability) to do something
cognition, knowledge, noesis - the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
mental block, block - an inability to remember or think of something you normally can do; often caused by emotional tension; "I knew his name perfectly well but I had a temporary block"
stupidity - a poor ability to understand or to profit from experience
inaptitude - a lack of aptitude
incapacity - lack of intellectual power
unskillfulness - a lack of cognitive skill
analphabetism, illiteracy - an inability to read
uncreativeness - a lack of creativity
incomprehension - an inability to understand; "his incomprehension of the consequences"
ability, power - possession of the qualities (especially mental qualities) required to do something or get something done; "danger heightened his powers of discrimination"
2.inability - lacking the power to performinability - lacking the power to perform  
unadaptability - the inability to change or be changed to fit changed circumstances
quality - an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone; "the quality of mercy is not strained"--Shakespeare
insensitiveness, insensitivity - the inability to respond to affective changes in your interpersonal environment
incompetence, incompetency - lack of physical or intellectual ability or qualifications
incapability, incapableness - the quality of not being capable -- physically or intellectually or legally
insufficiency - (pathology) inability of a bodily part or organ to function normally
ability - the quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishment
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

inability

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

inability

noun
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
عَجْز، عَدَم قُدْرَه
neschopnost
manglende dygtighedmanglende evne
kykenemättömyyskyvyttömyys
vangeta
negalėjimasnesugebėjimas
nespēja
nezmožnost
oförmåga
kabiliyetsizlikyetersizlik

inability

[ˌɪnəˈbɪlɪtɪ] Nincapacidad f
inability to do sthincapacidad para hacer algo
his inability to express himselfsu incapacidad para expresarse
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

inability

[ˌɪnəˈbɪlɪti] nincapacité f
inability to do sth → incapacité de faire qch
inability to pay → incapacité de payer
the inability of sb to do sth → l'incapacité de qn de faire qchin absentia [ˌɪnæbˈsɛntiə] advin absentia
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

inability

nUnfähigkeit f, → Unvermögen nt; inability to payZahlungsunfähigkeit f
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

inability

[ˌɪnəˈbɪlɪtɪ] n (physical, mental) → incapacità
inability to do sth → incapacità di fare qc
inability to pay → impossibilità di pagare
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

inability

(inəˈbiləti) noun
the lack of power, means, ability etc (to do something). I was surprised at his inability to read.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

inability

n. inhabilidad, incapacidad.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

inability

n incapacidad f
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
"Regretting my inability to afford you any assistance, I remain, your obedient servant,
The Fox on her return, discovered what had happened, but was less grieved for the death of her young than for her inability to avenge them.
Was he very uneasy in the meantime at his inability to give his daughter her birthright?
Hayward, after saying for a month that he was going South next day and delaying from week to week out of inability to make up his mind to the bother of packing and the tedium of a journey, had at last been driven off just before Christmas by the preparations for that festival.
Levin would have been glad indeed to be converted, but could not make out what the point was, and retreating a few steps from the speakers, he explained to Stepan Arkadyevitch his inability to understand why the marshal of the province should be asked to stand.
And yet commonly they take advantage of their inability, and would be thought wits of direction.
This they affirm to be the origin and nature of justice;--it is a mean or compromise, between the best of all, which is to do injustice and not be punished, and the worst of all, which is to suffer injustice without the power of retaliation; and justice, being at a middle point between the two, is tolerated not as a good, but as the lesser evil, and honoured by reason of the inability of men to do injustice.
Tulliver had done something because other people had said he was not able to do it, or had pitied him for his supposed inability, or in any other way piqued his pride; still, she thought to-day, if she told him when he came in to tea that sister Pullet was gone to try and make everything up with sister Glegg, so that he needn't think about paying in the money, it would give a cheerful effect to the meal.
In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.
He felt as if his arms ached from inability to compass it all, and he began, haltingly at first, to put his feeling into speech.
The more I consider this mighty tail, the more do I deplore my inability to express it.
At length some of his favourites whom he most confided in, knowing his cruelty and our inability to pay what he demanded, and apprehending that, if he should put us to the death he threatened, they should soon see the fleets of Portugal in the Red Sea, laying their towns in ashes to revenge it, endeavoured to soften his passion and preserve our lives, offering to advance the sum we should agree for, without any other security than our words.