INABILITY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does inability mean? 

• INABILITY (noun)
  The noun INABILITY has 2 senses:

1. lack of ability (especially mental ability) to do something

2. lacking the power to perform

  Familiarity information: INABILITY used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• INABILITY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Lack of ability (especially mental ability) to do something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("inability" is a kind of...):

cognition; knowledge; noesis (the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "inability"):

block; mental block (an inability to remember or think of something you normally can do; often caused by emotional tension)

stupidity (a poor ability to understand or to profit from experience)

inaptitude (a lack of aptitude)

incapacity (lack of intellectual power)

unskillfulness (a lack of cognitive skill)

analphabetism; illiteracy (an inability to read)

uncreativeness (a lack of creativity)

incomprehension (an inability to understand)

Antonym:

ability (possession of the qualities (especially mental qualities) required to do something or get something done)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Lacking the power to perform

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

inability; unfitness

Hypernyms ("inability" is a kind of...):

quality (an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "inability"):

unadaptability (the inability to change or be changed to fit changed circumstances)

insensitiveness; insensitivity (the inability to respond to affective changes in your interpersonal environment)

incompetence; incompetency (lack of physical or intellectual ability or qualifications)

incapability; incapableness (the quality of not being capable -- physically or intellectually or legally)

insufficiency ((pathology) inability of a bodily part or organ to function normally)

Antonym:

ability (the quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishment)

 Context examples 

It is caused by the inability of the pancreas to secrete sufficient insulin in response to elevated levels of glucose in the blood.

(Neonatal Diabetes Mellitus, NCI Thesaurus)

A term referring to the inability to speak.

(Aphonia, NCI Thesaurus)

Lack of coordination of muscle movements resulting in the impairment or inability to perform voluntary activities.

(Ataxia, NCI Thesaurus)

The inability of a substance to rotate the plane of polarized light.

(Nonrotatory, NCI Thesaurus)

Inability to see clearly in dim light.

(Nyctalopia, NCI Thesaurus)

An uncomfortable feeling of inner restlessness and inability to stay still; this is a side effect of some psychotropic drugs.

(Akathisia, NCI Thesaurus)

A drug used to treat insomnia (inability to sleep), and anxiety.

(Ambien, NCI Dictionary)

A disorder characterized by the inability of the brain to properly interpret or process the auditory signals it receives from the anatomic structures of the ear.

(Auditory Perceptual Disorder, NCI Thesaurus)

Symptoms include fatigue, weight gain, constipation, dry skin, depression, and the inability to exercise.

(Autoimmune thyroiditis, NCI Dictionary)

A disorder characterized by an individual's inability to comprehend or share ideas or feelings because of an impairment in language, speech, or hearing.

(Communication Disorder, NCI Thesaurus)