capacity

noun

容器 of container

1. 容量；容积；容纳能力
   the number of things or people that a container or space can hold
   1. The theatre has a seating capacity of 2 000.
      那座剧院能容纳2 000名观众。
   2. a fuel tank with a capacity of 50 litres
      可装50升油的油箱
   3. The hall was filled to capacity (= was completely full) .
      大厅内座无虚席。
   4. They played to a capacity crowd (= one that filled all the space or seats) .
      他们给人山人海的观众表演。

能力 ability

2. 领悟（或理解、办事）能力
   the ability to understand or to do sth
   1. She has an enormous capacity for hard work.
      她特别能吃苦耐劳。
   2. Limited resources are restricting our capacity for developing new products.
      有限的资源正制约着我们开发新产品的能力。
   3. your capacity to enjoy life
      你那享受生活乐趣的能力
   4. intellectual capacity
      智能

职责 role

3. 职位；职责
   the official position or function that sb has
   1. acting in her capacity as manager
      以她作为经理的身份行事
   2. We are simply involved in an advisory capacity on the project.
      我们只不过是以顾问身份参与这个项目。

工厂；机器 of factory/machine

4. 生产量；生产能力
   the quantity that a factory, machine, etc. can produce
   1. The factory is working at full capacity.
      这家工厂在开足马力生产。

发动机 of engine

5. （尤指车辆发动机的）容积，功率
   the size or power of a piece of equipment, especially the engine of a vehicle
   1. an engine with a capacity of 1 600 ccs
      一台功率为1.6升的发动机

1. N-VAR 能力;才能
   Your capacity for something is your ability to do it, or the amount of it that you are able to do.
   1. Our capacity for giving care, love and attention is limited...
      我们能够给予的关怀、关爱和关注是有限的。
   2. Her mental capacity and temperament are as remarkable as his.
      她的才智和气质和他一样出众。
   3. ...people's creative capacities.
      人们的创造才能
2. N-UNCOUNT (工厂、企业、地区的)生产量,生产（或运输）能力
   The capacity of something such as a factory, industry, or region is the quantity of things that it can produce or deliver with the equipment or resources that are available.
   1. ...the amount of spare capacity in the economy...
      经济中的剩余生产能力
   2. Bread factories are working at full capacity...
      面包厂正在全力生产。
   3. The region is valued for its coal and vast electricity-generating capacity...
      这个地区因其煤炭资源丰富和发电能力巨大而备受重视。
   4. Britain must still keep the nuclear and conventional capacity to deal with all conceivable threats.
      英国仍须保持核武器和常规武器的生产能力，以应对各种潜在威胁。
3. N-COUNT （设备的）容量，功率，马力
   The capacity of a piece of equipment is its size or power, often measured in particular units.
   1. ...an aircraft with a bomb-carrying capacity of 454 kg.
      载弹量为454千克的飞机
   2. ...a feature which gave the vehicles a much greater fuel capacity than other trucks.
      使这些车辆的储油量远远超过其他卡车的一个特点
4. N-VAR （容器的）容积，容量
   The capacity of a container is its volume, or the amount of liquid it can hold, measured in units such as litres or gallons.
   1. ...the fuel tanks, which had a capacity of 140 litres...
      容量为140升的油箱
   2. Grease 6 ramekin dishes of 150 ml (5-6 fl oz) capacity.
      将6个容量为150毫升(5至6液盎司)的烤盘涂上油。
5. N-SING (建筑、地方、车辆的)可容纳人数,载客量
   The capacity of a building, place, or vehicle is the number of people or things that it can hold. If a place is filled to capacity, it is as full as it can possibly be.
   1. Each stadium had a seating capacity of about 50,000...
      每个体育场均可容纳5万人左右。
   2. Toronto hospital maternity wards were filled to capacity.
      多伦多医院的产房都已住满了。
6. ADJ 座无虚席的;满场的;挤满的
   A capacity crowd or audience completely fills a theatre, sports stadium, or other place.
   1. A capacity crowd of 76,000 people was at Wembley football stadium for the event.
      温布利球场座无虚席，76,000人前来观看这场比赛。
7. N-COUNT 身份;职责;职位
   If you do something in a particular capacity, you do it as part of a particular job or duty, or because you are representing a particular organization or person.
   1. Ms Halliwell visited the Philippines in her capacity as a Special Representative of Unicef...
      哈利韦尔女士以联合国儿童基金会特别代表的身份访问了菲律宾。
   2. This article is written in a personal capacity...
      本文是以个人名义所写。
   3. Since 1928, Major Thomas has served the club in many capacities.
      自1928年以来,托马斯少校担任过该俱乐部的多个职位。

Do not confuse capacity with ability and capability. If someone has a particular capacity, a capacity for something, or a capacity to do something, they have the qualities required to do it. Capacity is a more formal word than ability. ...their capacity for hard work. ...his capacity to see the other person's point of view. You often use ability to say that someone can do something well. He had remarkable ability as a musician. ...the ability to bear hardship. A person's capability is the amount of work they can do and how well they can do it. ...a job that was beyond the capability of one man. ...the director's ideas of the capability of the actor.
不要混淆 capacity，ability 和 capability。capacity 比 ability 更加正式, 表示具有做某事所必需的特质: their capacity for hard work (他们能吃苦耐劳), his capacity to see the other person's point of view (他理解他人观点的能力)。ability 常用来表示能够做好某事: He had remarkable ability as a musician (他拥有杰出的音乐才华), the ability to bear hardship (承受苦难的能力)。capability 表示能完成的工作量及工作质量: a job that was beyond the capability of one man (个人力所不及的工作), the director's ideas of the capability of the actor (导演对那个演员演技的评价)。

1. He had no natural authority and no capacity for imposing his will on others.
   他天生缺乏威信，根本没有能力把他的意志强加于人。
2. Our capacity for giving care, love and attention is limited
   我们能够给予的关怀、关爱和关注是有限的。
3. Her mental capacity and temperament are as remarkable as his.
   她的才智和气质和他一样出众。
4. Bread factories are working at full capacity
   面包厂正在全力生产。
5. The region is valued for its coal and vast electricity-generating capacity
   这个地区因其煤炭资源丰富和发电能力巨大而备受重视。
6. Britain must still keep the nuclear and conventional capacity to deal with all conceivable threats.
   英国仍须保持核武器和常规武器的生产能力，以应对各种潜在威胁。
7. Toronto hospital maternity wards were filled to capacity.
   多伦多医院的产房都已住满了。
8. A capacity crowd of 76,000 people was at Wembley football stadium for the event.
   温布利球场座无虚席，76,000人前来观看这场比赛。
9. Ms Halliwell visited the Philippines in her capacity as a Special Representative of Unicef
   哈利韦尔女士以联合国儿童基金会特别代表的身份访问了菲律宾。
10. This article is written in a personal capacity
    本文是以个人名义所写。
11. Since 1928, Major Thomas has served the club in many capacities.
    自1928年以来，托马斯少校担任过该俱乐部的多个职位。
12. It's the capacity of those roads which is going to constrain the amount of travel by car that can take place.
    制约驾车出行量的将会是那些道路的通行能力。
13. Both men had argued that their trips had been undertaken in their capacity as front bench spokesmen.
    两人都争辩说他们的旅行是在作为前座议员发言人的权限内进行的。
14. Too much spending on rearmament would place an insupportable burden on the nation's productive capacity
    过于庞大的重整军备开支会给国家的生产力带来难以承受的负担。
15. She's got a great capacity for love.
    她很懂得如何去爱。
16. Spending could outrun the capacity of businesses to produce the goods.
    消费有可能超出企业的产能。
17. I'm quite pleased that we do have the capacity to produce that much food.
    我很高兴我们确实有能力生产这么多粮食。
18. Human beings have an infinite capacity for self-deception.
    人类自欺的本事是无穷的。
19. Two water tanks provide a total capacity of 400 litres.
    两个水缸的总容量为400升。
20. To make the computer work at full capacity, the programmer has to think like the machine
    为了让计算机充分发挥作用，程序员就得像计算机一样思考。
21. The vehicle would not have the capacity to make the journey on one tank of fuel.
    这辆车单靠一箱燃料无法跑完整趟旅程。
22. I really admire his capacity for work.
    我真钦佩他的工作能力。
23. This carriage has a seating capacity of 120 people.
    这节车厢定员120人。
24. In my capacity as an officer of the law, I must do my duty.
    作为一名执法官，我必须尽职。
25. He has a mind of great capacity.
    他的理解能力极强。
26. Few men have had such transcendental capacity to stir the heart of people.
    很少人有如此超群出众的打动人心的才能。
27. The professor in his lecture went beyond the capacity of his audience.
    这位教授的讲课超过了听众的接受能力。
28. What's the carrying capacity of this ship?
    这艘船载重多少？

  ability capability capacity competence【导航词义：能力，才能】

  ability n. 能力，本领，能耐；专门技能

〔辨析〕普通用词，主要用于人，指在智力或体力上能够做某事的实际能力，常后接动词不定式或介词 in/for。

  capability n. 能力，才能

〔辨析〕尤指完成有难度的事情所需的能力，常后接动词不定式或介词 of，可以复数形式出现。

  capacity n. 能力，才能；容纳能力

〔辨析〕指人理解或做某事的能力，或容器、房间等的容纳能力，常后接介词 of/for。

  competence n. 能力，胜任

〔辨析〕强调做某事的非凡能力，常后接介词 in。

noun

1. a specified function
   1. he was employed in the capacity of director
   2. he should be retained in his present capacity at a higher salary

2. the maximum production possible
   1. the plant is working at 80 per cent capacity

3. tolerance for alcohol
   1. he had drunk beyond his capacity

4. capability to perform or produce
   1. among his gifts is his capacity for true altruism
   2. limited runway capacity
   3. a great capacity for growth

5. the power to learn or retain knowledge

   Synonym:    mental ability

6. an electrical phenomenon whereby an electric charge is stored

   Synonym:    capacitanceelectrical capacity

7. (computer science) the amount of information (in bytes) that can be stored on a disk drive
   1. the capacity of a hard disk drive is usually expressed in megabytes

8. the amount that can be contained
   1. the gas tank has a capacity of 12 gallons

   Synonym:    content

9. the susceptibility of something to a particular treatment
   1. the capability of a metal to be fused

   Synonym:    capability