English

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Etymology

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Formed in Modern English as capable-ity.

Pronunciation

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  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˌkeɪ.pəˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/, /ˌkeɪ.pəˈbɪl.ə.ti/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˌkeɪ.pəˈbɪl.ə.ti/, [ˌkeɪ.pəˈbɪl.ə.ɾi]
  • (General Australian) IPA(key): /ˌkæɪ.pəˈbɪl.ə.ti/, [ˌkæɪ.pəˈbɪl.ə.ɾi]
  • Hyphenation: ca‧pa‧bil‧i‧ty
  • Rhymes: -ɪlɪti

Noun

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capability (countable and uncountable, plural capabilities)

  1. the power or ability to generate an outcome
  2. (computing) A digital token allowing a user or process to interact in a specified way with an object that is subject to access control. [from 1960s]
    • 1987 November, Richard Y. Kain, Carl E. Landwehr, “On Access Checking in Capability-Based Systems”, in IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering[1], volume SE-13, number 2, pages 202–207:
      Enforcing a security policy means controlling the rights users can acquire to data. In a capability machine, a user’s rights are defined by the capabilities he (or a process acting on his behalf) can obtain and the access rights conferred by those capabilities.

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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References

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