ABILITY in a Sentence

Learn ABILITY from example sentences, some of them are from classic books. These examples are selected from a corpus with 300,000 sentences, including classic works and current mainstream media. Some sentences also link to their contexts.

For ABILITY, below is one of 238 sentences:
He was of so great ability, even as a private citizen, that one who writes of him says he wanted nothing but a kingdom to be a king.

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 Meanings and Examples of ABILITY
Definition Example Sentence Classic Sentence
ability
 n.  capacity; skill
Classic Sentence: (83 in 6 pages)
1  And such was his ability that, under his rule, the people very soon became admirable soldiers.
Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius By Niccolo Machiavelli
Context  Highlight   In BOOK 1: CHAPTER XXI.
2  For often, from defect of judgment, men take upon them to defend others, when they have neither skill nor ability to defend themselves.
Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius By Niccolo Machiavelli
Context  Highlight   In BOOK 2: CHAPTER XI.
3  paternal power to parents for the benefit of their children during their minority, to supply their want of ability, and understanding how to manage their property.
Second Treatise of Government By John Locke
Context  Highlight   In CHAPTER XV
4  Now, as the fact of becoming a prince from a private station presupposes either ability or fortune, it is clear that one or other of these things will mitigate in some degree many difficulties.
The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli
Context  Highlight   In CHAPTER VI — CONCERNING NEW PRINCIPALITIES WHICH ARE ACQU...
5  But to come to those who, by their own ability and not through fortune, have risen to be princes, I say that Moses, Cyrus, Romulus, Theseus, and such like are the most excellent examples.
The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli
Context  Highlight   In CHAPTER VI — CONCERNING NEW PRINCIPALITIES WHICH ARE ACQU...
6  Theseus could not have shown his ability had he not found the Athenians dispersed.
The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli
Context  Highlight   In CHAPTER VI — CONCERNING NEW PRINCIPALITIES WHICH ARE ACQU...
7  These opportunities, therefore, made those men fortunate, and their high ability enabled them to recognize the opportunity whereby their country was ennobled and made famous.
The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli
Context  Highlight   In CHAPTER VI — CONCERNING NEW PRINCIPALITIES WHICH ARE ACQU...
8  He was of so great ability, even as a private citizen, that one who writes of him says he wanted nothing but a kingdom to be a king.
The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli
Context  Highlight   In CHAPTER VI — CONCERNING NEW PRINCIPALITIES WHICH ARE ACQU...
9  Francesco, by proper means and with great ability, from being a private person rose to be Duke of Milan, and that which he had acquired with a thousand anxieties he kept with little trouble.
The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli
Context  Highlight   In CHAPTER VII — CONCERNING NEW PRINCIPALITIES WHICH ARE ACQ...
10  Nevertheless, he accompanied his infamies with so much ability of mind and body that, having devoted himself to the military profession, he rose through its ranks to be Praetor of Syracuse.
The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli
Context  Highlight   In CHAPTER VIII — CONCERNING THOSE WHO HAVE OBTAINED A PRINC...
11  A prince ought also to show himself a patron of ability, and to honour the proficient in every art.
The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli
Context  Highlight   In CHAPTER XXI — HOW A PRINCE SHOULD CONDUCT HIMSELF SO AS T...
12  The education of youth according to ability.
The Souls of Black Folk By W. E. B. Du Bois
Context  Highlight   In III
13  Fifty years ago the ability of Negro students in any appreciable numbers to master a modern college course would have been difficult to prove.
The Souls of Black Folk By W. E. B. Du Bois
Context  Highlight   In VI
14  The combination of a certain adroitness with deep-seated earnestness, of tact with consummate ability, gave him his preeminence, and helps him maintain it.
The Souls of Black Folk By W. E. B. Du Bois
Context  Highlight   In X
15  This, of course, was wholly beyond my ability to provide.
Up From Slavery: An Autobiography By Booker T. Washington
Context  Highlight   In Chapter III.
Example Sentence: (155 in 11 pages)
16  Both players demonstrated their ability to hit the ball hard.
17  Their is something that is much more scarce, something rarer than ability.
18  He made some wisecrack about my lack of culinary ability.
19  Students are all put in different groups according to their ability.
20  Level of education is actually quite a poor indicator of ability to run a business well.
21  These results are a further proof of his outstanding ability.
22  Unfortunately these drugs are quite toxic and hinder the body's ability to fight off infection.
23  The main qualities required are preparedness to work hard, ability to learn, ambition and good health.
24  A good leader must be an astute judge of ability.
25  The health center serves all patients, regardless of their ability to pay.
26  He obtained his position more by favour than by merit or ability.
27  They have been given college scholarships purely on athletic ability.
28  She is endowed with great musical ability.
29  He has faith in my ability.
30  A gentle form of exercise will increase your ability to relax.