Definition of CAPACITY

capacity

Plural: capacities

Noun

  • The maximum amount that something can contain or produce.
  • capability to perform or produce
    • "among his gifts is his capacity for true altruism"
    • "limited runway capacity"
    • "a great capacity for growth"
  • the susceptibility of something to a particular treatment
  • the amount that can be contained
    • "the gas tank has a capacity of 12 gallons"
  • the maximum production possible
    • "the plant is working at 80 per cent capacity"
  • a specified function
    • "he was employed in the capacity of director"
    • "he should be retained in his present capacity at a higher salary"
  • (computer science) the amount of information (in bytes) that can be stored on a disk drive
    • "the capacity of a hard disk drive is usually expressed in megabytes"
  • an electrical phenomenon whereby an electric charge is stored
  • the power to learn or retain knowledge; in law, the ability to understand the facts and significance of your behavior
  • tolerance for alcohol
    • "he had drunk beyond his capacity"
  • The ability to hold, receive, or absorb
  • A measure of such ability; volume
  • The maximum amount that can be held
  • Capability; the ability to perform some task
  • The maximum that can be produced.
  • Mental ability; the power to learn
  • A faculty; the potential for growth and development
  • A role; the position in which one functions
  • Legal authority (to make an arrest for example)
  • Electrical capacitance.
  • The maximum that can be produced on a machine or in a facility or group.

Adj

  • Filling the allotted space.

Examples

  • A factory operating at less than full capacity.
  • Her board vision had a high CAPACITY for spotting complex word placements.
  • It was hauling a capacity load.
  • Its capacity rating was 150 tons per hour, but its actual maximum capacity was 200 tons per hour.
  • The orchestra played to a capacity crowd.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English capacite, from Old French capacite, from Latin capācitās, from capāx (“able to hold much”), from capiō (“to hold, to contain, to take, to understand”).

Synonyms

capability, capacitance, content, electrical capacity, mental ability, throughput

Antonyms

incapacity

Scrabble Score: 17

capacity: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
capacity: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
capacity: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 19

capacity: valid Words With Friends Word