Words / B2

in-uh-BIL-uh-tee/ˌɪnəˈbɪləti/

Inability is not being able to do something (usually uncountable): inability to upload; inability to pay. Ability is the opposite (already in the dictionary). Inability to upload is not automatic special consideration. Formal. Do not use it for “I forgot”.

Meaning

The fact of not being able to do something (usually uncountable).

Examples

• “Inability to upload the file is not, by itself, grounds for special consideration.”
• “Inability to pay the fare is not a defence, the notice said, which is the legal sense.”

Good to know

inability to + verb. Opposite: ability. Formal noun. Appeals, law, and medicine. Uncountable. Not a synonym of refusal.

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