Adjacent Words

Unable definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

UNA'BLE, a.
1. Not able; not having sufficient strength or means; impotent; weak in power, or poor in substance. A man is unable to rise when sick; he is unable to labor; he is unable to support his family or to purchase a farm; he is unable for a particular enterprise.
2. Not having adequate knowledge or skill. A man is unable to paint a good likeness; he is unable to command a ship or an army.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: (usually followed by `to') not having the necessary means or skill or know-how; "unable to get to town without a car"; "unable to obtain funds" [ant: able]
2: (usually followed by `to') lacking necessary physical or mental ability; "dyslexics are unable to learn to read adequately"; "the sun was unable to melt enough snow"
3: lacking in power or forcefulness; "an ineffectual ruler"; "like an unable phoenix in hot ashes" [syn: ineffective, ineffectual, unable]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Date: 14th century not able ; incapable: as a. unqualified, incompetent b. impotent, helpless

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. (usu. foll. by to + infin.) not able; lacking ability.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Unable Un*a"ble, a. Not able; not having sufficient strength, means, knowledge, skill, or the like; impotent' weak; helpless; incapable; -- now usually followed by an infinitive or an adverbial phrase; as, unable for work; unable to bear fatigue. Sapless age and weak unable limbs. --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. If you are unable to do something, it is impossible for you to do it, for example because you do not have the necessary skill or knowledge, or because you do not have enough time or money. The military may feel unable to hand over power to a civilian President next year... ? able ADJ: v-link ADJ to-inf

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Incapable, incompetent, impotent, powerless.

Moby Thesaurus

ill-qualified, impotent, inadequate, incapable, incapable of, incompetent, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficient, inept, inferior, maladjusted, not equal to, not up to, powerless, unable to, unadapted, unadjusted, unendowed, unequipped, unfit, unfitted, ungifted, unqualified, untalented