capability
NounWordNet 3.0
Noun (3)
- the quality of being capable -- physically or intellectually or legally“he worked to the limits of his capability”Synonyms: capableness
- the susceptibility of something to a particular treatment“the capability of a metal to be fused”Synonyms: capacity
- an aptitude that may be developedSynonyms: capablenesspotentiality
Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)
Capability \Ca`pa*bil"i*ty\, n.; pl. Capabilities.
1.The quality of being capable; capacity; capableness; esp. intellectual power or ability. [1913 Webster]
A capability to take a thousand views of a subject.— H. Taylor.[1913 Webster]
2.Capacity of being used or improved. [1913 Webster]
Free On-line Dictionary of Computing
capability
<operating system, security> An operating system security or access control model where specific types of access to a specific object are granted by giving a process this data structure or token.
The token may be unforgeable (typically by using encryption or hardware "tagged" memory). Capabilities are used in OSes such as Hydra, KeyKOS, EROS, Chorus/Mix, and the Stanford V system. Similar to Kerberos, but in an OS context.
Compare access control list.
(1998-03-08)