Standard Lemma guide

capacity

adj · noun · 21 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /kəˈpæsɪti/
  • British, Southern, Standard: /kəˈpasɪtɪj/
  • Scotland: /kəˈpasɪte/
  • Scotland: /-tɪ/
  • Scotland: /-ti/
  • Australian, Canada, General-American: /kəˈpæsɪti/
  • Australian, Canada, General-American: [kəˈpæsɪɾi]
  • California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -æsɪti
  • CMU ARPABET: K AH0 P AE1 S AH0 T IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: K AH0 P AE1 S IH0 T IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Filling the allotted space.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The ability to hold, receive, or absorb.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A measure of such ability; volume.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A measure of such ability; volume.

The maximum amount that can be held.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • It was hauling a capacity load.
  • The orchestra played to a capacity crowd.
  • A factory operating at less than full capacity.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Capability; the ability to perform some task.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ability, technique, aptitude, capacity, craft, capability, competency, competence, cunning, dexterity, ease, facility, hand, knack, list, prowess, moxie, potential, proficiency, skill, talent, tekkers, touch

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

The maximum that can be produced.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: throughput

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

The maximum that can be produced.

The maximum that can be produced on a machine or in a facility or group.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Qualifier: operations

Examples

  • Its capacity rating was 150 tons per hour, but its actual maximum capacity was 200 tons per hour.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: throughput

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

The potential for growth and development.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

The potential for growth and development.

Mental ability; the power to learn.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

A role; the position in which one functions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

A role; the position in which one functions.

Legal authority (to make an arrest for example).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

Electrical capacitance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

a specified function

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he was employed in the capacity of director
  • he should be retained in his present capacity at a higher salary

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: function, office, part, role

14

noun

Meaning 14

the maximum production possible

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the plant is working at 80 per cent capacity

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: production

15

noun

Meaning 15

tolerance for alcohol

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he had drunk beyond his capacity

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: tolerance

16

noun

Meaning 16

capability to perform or produce

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • among his gifts is his capacity for true altruism
  • limited runway capacity
  • a great capacity for growth

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: incapacity

Broader terms: capability, capableness

17

noun

Meaning 17

the power to learn or retain knowledge; in law, the ability to understand the facts and significance of your behavior

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mental ability

Antonyms: incapacity

Broader terms: ability, power

Narrower terms: prescience, prevision

18

noun

Meaning 18

an electrical phenomenon whereby an electric charge is stored

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: capacitance, electrical capacity

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: electrical phenomenon

19

noun

Meaning 19

(computer science) the amount of information (in bytes) that can be stored on a disk drive

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the capacity of a hard disk drive is usually expressed in megabytes

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: indefinite quantity

Narrower terms: formatted capacity, unformatted capacity

20

noun

Meaning 20

the amount that can be contained

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the gas tank has a capacity of 12 gallons

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: content

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: volume

Narrower terms: vital capacity

21

noun

Meaning 21

the susceptibility of something to a particular treatment

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the capability of a metal to be fused

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: capability

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: susceptibility, susceptibleness

Narrower terms: resistance, activity

History

Etymology

Etymology tree substratebor.? Proto-Indo-European *kap- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *kapyéti Proto-Italic *kapjō Old Latin kapiō Latin capiō Proto-Indo-European *-eh2-k-s Proto-Italic *-āks Latin -āx Latin capāx Proto-Indo-European *-teh2 Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-teh2ts Proto-Italic *-tāts Latin -tās Latin capācitāsder. Old French capacitebor. Middle English capacite English capacity From Middle English capacite, from Old French capacite, from Latin capācitās (whence -acity), from capāx (“able to hold much”), from capiō (“to hold, to contain, to take, to understand”).

Across languages

Translations

163 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: kapacitet — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Belarusian: зда́тнасць (zdátnascʹ) — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Belarusian: здо́льнасць (zdólʹnascʹ) — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Bengali: আওকাত (aōkat) — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Bhojpuri: क्षमता (kṣamətā) — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Bulgarian: спосо́бност (sposóbnost) — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Catalan: capacitat — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Dutch: capaciteit — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Finnish: kyky — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Finnish: kapasiteetti — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Finnish: suorituskyky — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • French: capacité — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Galician: capacidade — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • German: Fähigkeit — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Greek: ικανότητα (ikanótita) — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Hebrew: יכולת — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Hebrew: כושר — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Hindi: क्षमता (kṣamtā) — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Hindi: शक्ति (śakti) — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Hindi: सामर्थ्य (sāmarthya) — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Italian: capacità — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Korean: 역량 (yeongnyang) — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Korean: 능력 (neungnyeok) — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Latin: facultās — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Māori: āheitanga — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Mongolian: чадвар (čadvar) — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kapasitet — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kapasitet — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Occitan: capacitat — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Polish: zdolność — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Portuguese: capacidade — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Romanian: capacitate — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Russian: спосо́бность (sposóbnostʹ) — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Serbo-Croatian: sposobnost — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Spanish: capacidad — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Swedish: kapacitet — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Turkish: kabiliyet — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Turkish: yetenek — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Ukrainian: зда́тність (zdátnistʹ) — capability; the ability to perform some task
  • Bulgarian: капаците́т (kapacitét) — electrical capacitance
  • Finnish: kapasitanssi — electrical capacitance
  • Galician: capacidade — electrical capacitance
  • Greek: χωρητικότητα (choritikótita) — electrical capacitance
  • Hindi: धारिता (dhāritā) — electrical capacitance
  • Italian: resistenza — electrical capacitance
  • Korean: 전기용량 (jeon'giyongnyang) — electrical capacitance
  • Korean: 정전용량 (jeongjeonyongnyang) — electrical capacitance
  • Polish: pojemność — electrical capacitance
  • Portuguese: capacidade — electrical capacitance
  • Romanian: capacitate — electrical capacitance
  • Russian: ёмкость (jómkostʹ) — electrical capacitance
  • Spanish: capacidad — electrical capacitance
  • Turkish: kapasite — electrical capacitance
  • Ukrainian: є́мність (jémnistʹ) — electrical capacitance
  • Bulgarian: правоспосо́бност (pravosposóbnost) — legal authority
  • Finnish: kapasiteetti — legal authority
  • Finnish: oikeuskelpoisuus — legal authority
  • Finnish: toimivaltuus — legal authority
  • German: Befugnis — legal authority
  • Hungarian: képesség — legal authority
  • Hungarian: jogképesség — legal authority
  • Korean: 법적강권 (beopjeokganggwon) — legal authority
  • Russian: правоспосо́бность (pravosposóbnostʹ) — legal authority
  • Swedish: befogenhet — legal authority
  • Turkish: salahiyet — legal authority
  • Turkish: yetki — legal authority
  • Ukrainian: правозда́тність (pravozdátnistʹ) — legal authority
  • Albanian: nxënësi — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Albanian: kapacitet — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Arabic: سِعَة (siʕa) — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Belarusian: ёмістасць (jómistascʹ) — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Belarusian: ёмасць (jómascʹ) — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Belarusian: умяшча́льнасць (umjaščálʹnascʹ) — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Belarusian: пако́ўнасць (pakównascʹ) — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Bengali: আওকাত (aōkat) — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Bulgarian: вмести́мост (vmestímost) — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Bulgarian: капаците́т (kapacitét) — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Catalan: capacitat — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Chinese Mandarin: 容量 (róngliàng) — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Danish: kapacitet — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Dutch: capaciteit — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Dutch: capaciteiten — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Finnish: kapasiteetti — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Finnish: vetävyys — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Finnish: tilavuus — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • French: capacité — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Galician: capacidade — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • German: Kapazität — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Greek: χωρητικότητα (choritikótita) — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Hindi: सामर्थ्य (sāmarthya) — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Hindi: क्षमता (kṣamtā) — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Indonesian: kapasitas — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Irish: acmhainn — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Italian: tenuta — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Italian: resistenza — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Italian: capacità — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Italian: capienza — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Japanese: 容量 (yōryō) — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Korean: 용량 (yongnyang) — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Korean: 수용력 (suyongnyeok) — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Latin: capācitās — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Malay: isian — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Malay: muatan — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Malay: kapasiti — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Māori: kītanga — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kapasitet — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kapasitet — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Occitan: capacitat — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Polish: pojemność — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Portuguese: capacidade — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Romanian: capacitate — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Russian: ёмкость (jómkostʹ) — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Russian: вмести́мость (vmestímostʹ) — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Serbo-Croatian: nosivost — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Spanish: capacidad — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Spanish: cabida — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Spanish: cabimiento — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Spanish: cupo — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Spanish: aforo — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Swedish: kapacitet — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Telugu: సామర్థ్యం (sāmarthyaṁ) — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Turkish: kapasite — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Ukrainian: є́мність (jémnistʹ) — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Ukrainian: мі́сткість (místkistʹ) — the ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • Belarusian: прадукцы́йнасць (pradukcýjnascʹ) — the maximum that can be produced
  • Bulgarian: производи́телност (proizvodítelnost) — the maximum that can be produced
  • Finnish: tuotantokyky — the maximum that can be produced
  • Finnish: kapasiteetti — the maximum that can be produced
  • Greek: απόδοση (apódosi) — the maximum that can be produced
  • Hindi: क्षमता (kṣamtā) — the maximum that can be produced
  • Hindi: सामर्थ्य (sāmarthya) — the maximum that can be produced
  • Hungarian: kapacitás — the maximum that can be produced
  • Italian: capacità — the maximum that can be produced
  • Korean: 생산력 (saengsallyeok) — the maximum that can be produced
  • Māori: kītanga — the maximum that can be produced
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kapasitet — the maximum that can be produced
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kapasitet — the maximum that can be produced
  • Portuguese: capacidade — the maximum that can be produced
  • Romanian: capacitate — the maximum that can be produced
  • Russian: производи́тельность (proizvodítelʹnostʹ) — the maximum that can be produced
  • Spanish: capacidad — the maximum that can be produced
  • Swedish: kapacitet — the maximum that can be produced
  • Ukrainian: поту́жність (potúžnistʹ) — the maximum that can be produced
  • Ukrainian: продукти́вність (produktývnistʹ) — the maximum that can be produced
  • Azerbaijani: qisim — the position in which one functions
  • Belarusian: кампетэ́нтнасць (kampjeténtnascʹ) — the position in which one functions
  • Bulgarian: компете́нтност (kompeténtnost) — the position in which one functions
  • Dutch: hoedanigheid — the position in which one functions
  • Finnish: tehtävä — the position in which one functions
  • Finnish: asema — the position in which one functions
  • French: qualité — the position in which one functions
  • Greek: θέση (thési) — the position in which one functions
  • Greek: ιδιότητα (idiótita) — the position in which one functions
  • Hungarian: minőség — the position in which one functions
  • Irish: feidhmeannas — the position in which one functions
  • Italian: qualità — the position in which one functions
  • Korean: 지위 (jiwi) — the position in which one functions
  • Polish: stanowisko — the position in which one functions
  • Portuguese: capacidade — the position in which one functions
  • Russian: компете́нтность (kompeténtnostʹ) — the position in which one functions
  • Ukrainian: компете́нція (kompeténcija) — the position in which one functions
  • Ukrainian: компете́нтність (kompeténtnistʹ) — the position in which one functions
  • Urdu: حَیثِیَت (haisiyat) — the position in which one functions
Real reading context

capacity in complete knowledge articles