The letter "A" in Navy Phonetic Alphabet.
"He spelled his code word as Able Baker Charlie during the secure transmission."
"The ability to speak three languages is a real asset in today's global job market."
Usage: The word "able" does not have an everyday meaning as a noun; it is strictly an adjective describing capability. When referring to the letter A in the Navy Phonetic Alphabet, use the code word Alpha instead of able.
To make ready.
"Before we set sail, please be able and quickly prepare all the ropes for the storm."
"I was able to finish the report before the deadline."
Usage: The word "able" is an adjective meaning having the power or capacity to do something and is not used as a verb. To express the action of making something ready, you should use the verb "enable" instead.
(usually followed by `to') having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
"able to swim"
"she was able to program her computer"
"we were at last able to buy a car"
"able to get a grant for the project"
having inherent physical or mental ability or capacity
"able to learn"
"human beings are able to walk on two feet"
"Superman is able to leap tall buildings"
having a strong healthy body
"an able seaman"
"every able-bodied young man served in the army"
Easy to use.
"The new software is so intuitive that even my grandmother finds it easy to use without any help."
In plain English: Able means having the skill, power, or opportunity to do something.
"She is able to solve difficult problems quickly."
Usage: Do not confuse "able" with "easy"; use "able" only to describe a person or thing that has the capacity to do something, while "easy" describes a task that requires little effort. Saying an object is "able" to be used incorrectly implies it possesses agency rather than simply being convenient for others.
A surname.
"The Able family has been living in that small coastal town for three generations."
The word "able" comes from the Old Northern French variant of habile, which originally meant "skillful" or "apt." It entered English with this sense of capability, reflecting its Latin root habilis that described something easily managed or handled.