You searched for: “ability”
ability (uh BIL i tee) (s) (noun), abilities (pl)
A skill or a capacity to accomplish something: A really good salesman has the ability to sell just about anything.

Ability is a special skill, like speaking several languages, or keeping your mouth shut in one language.

—Evan Esar
This entry is located in the following unit: English Words in Action, Group A (page 2)
Science and Technology
(over the past century, knowledge of the way the universe works [science] has grown significantly, and with it the ability to apply that knowledge to everyday problems [technology] has changed the way people live)