capacity
[noun]
Synonyms:
- size, amplitude, compass, dimensions, extent, magnitude, range, room, scope, space, volume
- ability, aptitude, aptness, capability, competence, facility, genius, gift
- function, office, position, post, province, role, sphere

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Antonyms: incapacity
Contrasted words: impotence, ineffectiveness, powerlessness
Related Words: bent, faculty, gift, knack, talent, twin, caliber, stature

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English Thesaurus: size, dimensions, measurements, proportions, area, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

ca‧pac‧i‧ty S3 W2 AC /kəˈpæsəti, kəˈpæsɪti/ noun (plural capacities)
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: capacité, from Latin capacitas, from capax; ⇒ capacious]

1. [singular] the amount of space a container, room etc has to hold things or people
capacity of
The fuel tank has a capacity of 40 litres.
The room had seating capacity for about 80.
The orchestra played to a capacity crowd (=the largest number of people who can fit into a hall, theatre etc).
All the hotels were filled to capacity.

2. [uncountable and countable] someone’s ability to do something Antonym : incapacity
capacity for
a child’s capacity for learning
an infinite capacity for love
capacity to do something
a capacity to think in an original way

3. [singular] formal someone’s job, position, or duty Synonym : role
in a professional/official etc capacity
Rollins will be working in an advisory capacity on this project.
(do something) in your capacity as something
I attended the meeting in my capacity as chairman of the safety committee.

4. [singular, uncountable] the amount of something that a factory, company, machine etc can produce or deal with:
The company has the capacity to build 1,500 trucks a year.
The factory has been working at full capacity (=making the most amount of things that it can).

5. [singular, uncountable] the size or power of something such as an engine:
The tax on cars is still based on engine capacity.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

capacity
noun
I. amount held/produced
ADJ. high, large a high capacity electric pump large capacity disk drives
limited, small | maximum, total a total capacity of 50 litres
excess, spare spare capacity in the health service
economic, productive | earning The qualification should increase my earning capacity.
carrying, nuclear, seating, storage | engine, lung
VERB + CAPACITY have | be filled/packed to The theatre was filled to capacity (= was full) for every performance.
expand, increase | reduce
CAPACITY + NOUN audience, crowd
PHRASES operate/work at full capacity (= to produce the maximum amount possible)

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

capacity
II. ability
ADJ. amazing, enormous, great, remarkable | limited | innate, natural Children have an innate capacity to understand language.
intellectual, mental | human the human capacity for compassion
VERB + CAPACITY have | lose She seems to have lost the capacity to enjoy herself.
increase | reduce, restrict
PREP. beyond your ~ This maths is beyond the capacity of most school children.
within your ~ The mountain walk is well within the capacity of most fit people.
~ for her amazing capacity for organization

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

capacity
III. official position
ADJ. official | personal, private, unofficial, voluntary | professional | acting, caretaker | advisory | judicial
VERB + CAPACITY act in, work in I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.
PREP. in your ~ In my capacity as president, I would like to thank Jack for his hard work.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

capacity

have a capacity of 5/10 etc litres
It’s a small microwave which has a capacity of 0.6 cubic feet.
be filled to capacity (=be completely full)
The courtroom was filled to capacity.
limited capacity
The hospitals have a limited capacity.
high capacity (=able to hold a lot of things or people)
There was demand for a high capacity public transport system.
storage capacity (=how much information a computer disk, CD-Rom etc can hold)
The storage capacity is about 250 megabytes.
seating capacity (=how many seats there are in a theatre, hall etc)
The largest hall in the university has a seating capacity of over 1,500.
a capacity audience (=the largest number of people who can fill a theatre, hall etc)
The lecture attracted a capacity audience.
a capacity crowd (=the largest number of people that can fit in a place)
A capacity crowd of 40,000 turned up at the stadium.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

capacity
noun
1.
BAD: This type of job requires special capacities.
GOOD: This type of job requires special skills.
BAD: I wish to improve my speaking and listening capacities.
GOOD: I wish to improve my speaking and listening skills.

Usage Note:
capacity = the power or quality that makes someone able to do, experience, give or receive something: 'These children display an extraordinary capacity for learning.' 'Man's capacity for love and generosity is unlimited.'
skill = what someone needs to have learned before they can actually do a particular job or activity: 'Being a good manager requires a number of highly specialized skills.' 'This course is designed to develop the student's reading and writing skills.'

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2.
BAD: The atomic bomb has given man the capacity of self-destruction.
GOOD: The atomic bomb has given man the capacity for self-destruction.

Usage Note:
capacity for sth 'He has an enormous capacity for hard work.'
capacity to do sth: 'The human race shows an extraordinary capacity to change with the times.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

size noun [uncountable and countable] how big someone or something is:
What size is that shirt?
The price will depend on the size and quality of the carpet.
Your desk is exactly the same size as mine.
Fire has destroyed an area of forest the size of Luxembourg.
The seeds are very small, about half the size of a grain of salt.
There were several pieces of wood of different sizes.
Cover the dough and allow it to rise until it has doubled in size.
The black spots on her skin seemed to be slowly increasing in size.
The American states vary enormously in size, from very large to very small.
In a class this size, there will always be a few problems.
dimensions noun [plural] the length, width, and height of an object, room, building etc:
What are the dimensions of the table?
measurements noun [plural] the length, width, or height of something, or of someone’s body:
I need to check the measurements of the window.
your waist measurement is 31 inches
The nurse took my measurements.
proportions noun [plural] the relative sizes of the different parts of an object, room, building etc:
The proportions don’t look right to me.
You can sit in the Plaza and admire the proportions of the cathedral.
area noun [uncountable and countable] the amount of space that a flat surface such as a floor or field covers:
To measure the area of a room, you need to multiply the length by the width.
extent noun [uncountable] the size of a large area:
The extent of the ranch is enormous.
The island measured about 1,600 kilometres in extent.
bulk noun [uncountable] the very large size of something:
The statue’s massive bulk made it difficult to move.
his enormous bulk
The view was dominated by the huge bulk of the power station.
capacity noun [singular] the amount that a container will hold:
The capacity of the tank is around 500 gallons.
The computer’s memory has a capacity of over 200 megabytes.
All the storage units were filled to capacity.
volume noun [singular] the amount of space that a substance fills, or that an object contains:
The average domestic swimming pool has a volume of 45,000 litres.
This instrument measures the volume of air in your lungs.
Help me figure out the volume of this fish tank.
The shifting of continents has an impact on the volume of water the oceans can contain.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲