Capacities — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /kə-ˈpa-sə-tē/ ca·pac·i·ty

Meaning & Definition of Capacities

Capacities (noun)

  1. legal competency or fitness
  2. the potential or suitability for holding, storing, or accommodating
  3. the maximum amount or number that can be contained or accommodated
  4. the maximum population (as of deer) that an area will support without undergoing deterioration
  5. the breathing capacity of the lungs expressed as the number of cubic inches or cubic centimeters of air that can be forcibly exhaled after a full inspiration

Capacities (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the largest number or amount that something can hold

    "the seating capacity of the school auditorium is 800 people"

    similar: complements, cubages, real estates, volumes
    related: burdens, fills, loads, measures, areas, room, spaces, stowages

  2. an assignment at which one regularly works for pay

    "served in the capacity of the network's White House correspondent for a year"

    similar: appointments, berths, billets, connections, functions, jobs, places, positions, posts, situations
    related: businesses, employments, employs, occupations, professions, works, offices, spots, callings, pursuits, trades, vocations, lines, rackets, engagements, gigs, livelihoods, livings, careers, lifeworks, practices, duties, missions, postings, services, tasks
    near: avocations, unemployments

  3. the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists

    "offered advice in his capacity as a lawyer"

    similar: businesses, functions, jobs, parts, places, positions, purposes, roles, tasks, works
    related: affairs, concerns, hands, involvements, participations, niches, offices, posts, situations, callings, occupations, pursuits, vocations, activities, assignments, charges, commissions, duties, employs, missions, responsibilities, services, uses

  4. the physical or mental power to do something

    "not everyone has the capacity for learning higher math"

    similar: abilities, capabilities, competences, competencies, faculties
    related: aptitudes, endowments, equipments, facilities, gifts, knacks, talents, addresses, dexterities, hands, prowesses, skills, gray matters, instincts, intelligences, kens, reasons, understandings, mights, potencies, puissances, staying powers, stuff, adequacies, forms, influences, means, resources, wherewithals
    opposite: disabilities, inabilities, incapabilities, incapacities, incompetences, incompetencies, ineptitudes
    near: impotences, paralyses, weaknesses, deficiencies, inadequacies, ineffectualities, inefficacies, debilitations, disablements, impairments, incapacitations

Related Entry: Capacity (noun)

Capacity is a different word from Capacities. The synonyms below are for capacity, not for capacities.

  1. the largest number or amount that something can hold

    "the seating capacity of the school auditorium is 800 people"

    similar: complement, cubage, real estate, volume
    related: burden, fill, fullness, load, measure, area, room, space, stowage

  2. an assignment at which one regularly works for pay

    "served in the capacity of the network's White House correspondent for a year"

    similar: appointment, berth, billet, connection, function, job, place, position, post, situation
    related: business, employ, employment, occupation, profession, work, office, spot, calling, pursuit, trade, vocation, line, racket, engagement, gig, livelihood, living, career, lifework, practice, duty, mission, posting, service, task
    near: avocation, joblessness, unemployment

  3. the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists

    "offered advice in his capacity as a lawyer"

    similar: business, function, job, part, place, position, purpose, role, task, work
    related: affair, concern, hand, involvement, participation, niche, office, post, situation, calling, occupation, pursuit, vocation, activity, assignment, charge, commission, duty, employ, mission, responsibility, service, use

  4. the physical or mental power to do something

    "not everyone has the capacity for learning higher math"

    similar: ability, capability, capableness, competence, competency, faculty
    related: aptitude, aptness, endowment, equipment, facility, gift, knack, talent, address, adroitness, deftness, dexterity, hand, prowess, skill, gray matter, instinct, intelligence, ken, reason, understanding, might, potency, puissance, staying power, stuff, adequacy, effectiveness, effectualness, fitness, form, influence, resourcefulness, usefulness, means, resources, wherewithal
    opposite: disability, inability, incapability, incapableness, incapacity, incompetence, incompetency, ineptitude, ineptness
    near: helplessness, impotence, paralysis, powerlessness, weakness, defectiveness, deficiency, inadequacy, inadequateness, ineffectiveness, ineffectuality, ineffectualness, inefficaciousness, inefficacy, uselessness, debilitation, disablement, impairment, incapacitation

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Capacities

The most common words with a similar meaning to Capacities:

complements, cubages, real estates, volumes, appointments, berths, billets, connections, functions, jobs, places, positions, posts, situations, businesses, parts, purposes, roles, tasks, works, abilities, capabilities, competences, competencies, faculties

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Capacities

Words with the opposite meaning of Capacities:

disabilities, inabilities, incapabilities, incapacities, incompetences, incompetencies, ineptitudes

Related Words for Capacities

burdens, fills, loads, measures, areas, room, spaces, stowages, employments, employs, occupations, professions, offices, spots, callings, pursuits, trades, vocations, lines, rackets, engagements, gigs, livelihoods, livings, careers, lifeworks, practices, duties, missions, postings

Near Antonyms of Capacities

avocations, unemployments, impotences, paralyses, weaknesses, deficiencies, inadequacies, ineffectualities, inefficacies, debilitations, disablements, impairments, incapacitations

Origin & Etymology of Capacities

Middle English capacite, from Middle French capacité, from Latin capacitat-, capacitas, from capac-, capax

First known use: 15th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Capacities

What does "Capacities" mean?

"Capacities" means legal competency or fitness. As a noun, it is defined as: legal competency or fitness. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Capacities"?

Other words for "Capacities" include complements, cubages, real estates, volumes, appointments, berths, billets and connections. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Capacities" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Capacities"?

There are 96 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Capacities". Common alternatives include complements, cubages, real estates, volumes, appointments, berths, billets, connections, functions and jobs.

What is the opposite of "Capacities"?

Antonyms of "Capacities" include disabilities, inabilities, incapabilities, incapacities, incompetences, incompetencies and ineptitudes. Near antonyms include avocations, unemployments, impotences and paralyses.

How do you use "Capacities" in a sentence?

Examples of "Capacities" in a sentence: "the seating capacity of the school auditorium is 800 people"; "served in the capacity of the network's White House correspondent for a year"; "offered advice in his capacity as a lawyer".

Is "Capacities" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Capacities" is a noun.

How do you pronounce "Capacities"?

"Capacities" is pronounced /kə-ˈpa-sə-tē/ and divided into syllables as ca·pac·i·ty.

What is the origin of the word "Capacities"?

"Capacities" comes from Middle English capacite, from Middle French capacité, from Latin capacitat-, capacitas, from capac-, capax. First known use: 15th century.