Able, a. [Comp. Abler; superl. Ablest.]
Etymology: [OF. habile, L. habilis that may be easily held or managed, apt, skillful, fr. habere to have, hold. Cf. Habile and see Habit.]
1. Fit; adapted; suitable. [Obs.] A many man, to ben an abbot able. Chaucer.
2. Having sufficient power, strength, force, skill, means, or resources of any kind to accomplish the object; possessed of qualifications rendering competent for some end; competent; qualified; capable; as, an able workman, soldier, seaman, a man able to work; a mind able to reason; a person able to be generous; able to endure pain; able to play on a piano.
3. Specially: Having intellectual qualifications, or strong mental powers; showing ability or skill; talented; clever; powerful; as, the ablest man in the senate; an able speech. No man wrote abler state papers. Macaulay.
4. (Law)
3 more senses
Legally qualified; possessed of legal competence; as, able to inherit or devise property.
Note: Able for, is Scotticism. "Hardly able for such a march." Robertson.
Syn. -- Competent; qualified; fitted; efficient; effective; capable; skillful; clever; vigorous; powerful.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Able, v. t.
[Obs.]
1. To make able; to enable; to strengthen. Chaucer.
2. To vouch for. "I 'll able them." Shak.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for able; he lists it under adequate, clever, sagacious.
Where he writes about it:
Able and capable suggest general ability and reserved power, able being the higher word of the two. — from adequate
An able man will do something well in any position. — from adequate
We say an able orator, a capable accountant. — from adequate
The discriminating use of such words as able, gifted, talented, etc., is greatly preferable to an excessive use of the word clever. — from clever