Ability is a conceptually broad term referring to possession of the talents and skills necessary to perform a current task. This assumes therefore that any learning or developmental processes necessary have already been attained.

Ability may be:

General synonymsEdit

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 abilityEdit

Main article: Intelligence and ability

Intelligence tests generally measure ability but can sometimes be used to predict aptitude for future learning.

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

Social and communication abilitiesEdit

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

Nonverbal abilityEdit

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

Physical abilitiesEdit

• Self care skills
• Physical agility
• Skill

Other abilitiesEdit

• Activities of daily living
• Navigation

AssessmentEdit

• Ability tests
• Adaptive testing
• Aptitude measures

See alsoEdit

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