incapable

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪnˈkeɪpəbəl/ UK /ɪnˈkeɪpəbəl/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
lacking the ability, capacity, or fitness to do something

He seemed incapable of telling even the smallest lie.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · lacking the ability,... unable incompetent unfit powerless inept unqualified

Opposites

capable able competent qualified

Word family

Derived forms incapablyincapability

Related forms capable capability capacity

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

simply incapable
unable, by one's character or disposition, to do a particular thing

Adverb + adjective

Etymology

From in- ('not') + capable, from Late Latin capabilis ('able to hold, receptive'), from Latin capere ('to take, hold').

capabilis Late Latin capere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# incapable

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈkeɪpəbəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪnˈkeɪpəbəl/

## Meanings
1. lacking the ability, capacity, or fitness to do something

## Examples
- He seemed incapable of telling even the smallest lie.

## Synonyms
- unable
- incompetent
- unfit
- powerless
- inept
- unqualified

## Antonyms
- capable
- able
- competent
- qualified

## Derived Forms
- incapably
- incapability

## Related Forms
- capable
- capability
- capacity

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: capabilis
- Root: capere

## Etymology
From in- ('not') + capable, from Late Latin capabilis ('able to hold, receptive'), from Latin capere ('to take, hold').

## AI Etymology
Incapable comes from in- ('not') + capable, from Late Latin capabilis ('able to hold, receptive'), from Latin capere ('to take, hold'). The etymological trail includes Late Latin capabilis and Latin capere. As an adjective, incapable means lacking the ability, capacity, or fitness to do something. The same family is visible in derived forms such as incapably and incapability and related forms such as capable, capability, and capacity. Morphologically, the word is built from the elements named in its history, so the modern form preserves a visible compound, prefix, or suffix structure.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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