inability C1 Topic:Actions & Processes US /ˌɪnəˈbɪlɪti/ See IPA manual Freq #16087 Meanings 1 noun The fact of not being able to do something. His inability to swim kept him out of the water all summer. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · the fact of not being able... unfitness More unability Word family Forms inabilities Common collocations constitutional inability Adjective + noun Etymology AI details From earlier inhability (“disqualification for office”), equivalent to in- + ability. Compare Middle French inhabilité, Medieval Latin inhabilitās. Topics Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # inability **Type:** Word **Level:** C1 **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˌɪnəˈbɪlɪti/ **Frequency rank:** 16087 ## Meanings 1. The fact of not being able to do something. ## Examples - His inability to swim kept him out of the water all summer. ## Synonyms - unability ## Etymology From earlier inhability (“disqualification for office”), equivalent to in- + ability. Compare Middle French inhabilité, Medieval Latin inhabilitās. ## AI Etymology Inability comes from earlier inhability (“disqualification for office”), equivalent to in- + ability. Compare Middle French inhabilité, Medieval Latin inhabilitās. In present use it covers the fact of not being able to do something. ## Topics - Actions & Processes - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown