able

able, capable, competent, qualified are close synonyms when they denote having marked power or fitness for work and are used attributively. Placed after the noun, able (followed by to and infinitive) and capable (followed by of) suggest mere possession of ability or capacity without any clear indication of its extent or quality

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they must be capable of living the life of the spirit . . . they must be able to cope intelligently with weighty problems of public policy— Grandgenty

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In general competent and qualified in predicative use suggest mere fitness in the one case and sufficient training in the other

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a servant competent to take full charge

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headmasters and education authorities want to be able to distinguish between those who are qualified to teach . . . and those who are not— Huxley

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On the other hand all four words are manifestly richer in implications when (especially in attributive use) they are thought of as characterizing persons or their activities.

Able then suggests ability markedly above the average; it often connotes power of mastery; it does not exclude the connotation of promise even when the emphasis is on performance

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able boys and girls will . . . submit willingly to severe discipline in order to acquire some coveted knowledge or skill— Russell

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Capable stresses possession of qualities such as adaptability, resourcefulness, versatility, industry, or efficiency and seldom indicates, apart from its context, the specific ability involved

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pretty and charming, but stupid . . . because she believes men prefer women to be useless and extravagant; if left to herself she would be a domestic and capable person— Millay

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Competent and qualified are used especially to characterize a person or his activities in relation to a specific calling

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a competent housekeeper

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a qualified accountant

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Competent implies the ability to satisfy capably all the special demands or requirements of a particular situation, craft, or profession, but it does not necessarily imply, as qualified usually does, compliance with set standards such as special training and the testing of one’s competence at the end of such training

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a qualified engineer

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a competent portraitist knows how to imply the profile in the full face— Huxley

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Analogous words: skilled, skillful, *proficient, expert: efficient, *effective: clever, brilliant, *intelligent, smart

Antonyms: inept (by nature, training): unable

Contrasted words: *incapable, incompetent, unqualified: inefficient, *ineffective: mediocre, fair, indifferent (see MEDIUM): maladroit (see AWKWARD)