capacity */*/*/

UK [kəˈpæsətɪ] / US noun [countable/uncountable]
Word forms "capacity":
singular capacity plural capacities

1)

a) the amount of something that can be put in a container, or the number of people that a place has room for

There are plans to increase the capacity of the stadium.

capacity of:

The fuel tanks have a capacity of 25,000 litres.

a theatre with a seating capacity of 800

a capacity crowd/audience (= a very large crowdaudience that completely fills a place):

The game is set to attract a capacity crowd of 42,000.

b) computing the amount of information that can be stored on a computer or on a CD or floppy disk

2)

a) the amount of goods that a company can produce, or the amount of work it can do

New machinery could increase our production capacity by 25 per cent.

The plant has a capacity of 120,000 tonnes per annum.

The present rail network has plenty of spare capacity.

at full capacity (= producing as many goods as possible, or doing as much work as possible):

The factory is now operating at full capacity.

b) the amount of energy or power that something can produce

3) the ability to do something

Her poor health limits her earning capacity.

capacity to do something:

They are worried about their capacity to invest for the future.

capacity for:

Harry had a tremendous capacity for work.

•

in a professional/personal/advisory etc capacity — formal having a particular job or position when you do something

I am here in a purely personal capacity.

in your capacity as:

The Princess was there in her capacity as patron of the charity.