Ability

Ability is a conceptually broad term referring to possession of the talents and skills necessary to perform a task

Ability may be:

General synonyms

Skills, abilities, and aptitudes are similarly related but distinct, descriptions of what a person can do, and should not be conflated.

• Skills are a backward looking description. Skills describe what a person has learned to do in the past.
• Abilities are a present description. Abilities describe what a person can do now.
• Aptitudes are a forward looking description. Aptitudes describe what a person has the ability to do in the future. They describe what a person can learn to do.

Other related concepts are:

• Competence
• Performance
• Ability level
• Achievement potential

Intellectual ability

• Intelligence
• Expertise
• Academic aptitude
• Cognitive ability
• Learning ability
• Reading ability
• Reading skills
• Creativity
• Gifted
• Idiot savants

Social and communication abilities

• Communication skills
• Employee skills
• Nonverbal ability
• Social skills

Nonverbal ability

• Artistic ability
• Mathematical ability
• Mechanical aptitude
• Motor skills
• Spatial ability

Physical abilities

• Self care skills
• Physical agility
• Skill

Other abilities

• Activities of daily living
• Navigation

Assessment

• Ability tests
• Adaptive testing

See also

• Ability grouping in education settings
• Achievement potential
• Differential Model of Giftedness and Talent
• Performance