capacity
Imagine a small box. If you put too many toys in it, it is full. We call this capacity. When a room is full of people, we say it is at capacity. You cannot put anything more inside.
When you go to a concert, the building has a limit. If all the tickets are sold, the venue is at capacity. This means it is 100% full. You cannot buy more tickets because there is no room left for you.
In business, capacity refers to the maximum amount of work a company can do. If a factory is at capacity, it is working as fast as possible. You might also hear about a 'capacity crowd' at a sports game, which means the stadium is completely packed.
The term is often used to describe systems reaching their limits. Whether it is a server handling traffic or a hospital bed count, being at capacity implies a state of maximum utilization. It is a formal way to describe a lack of remaining space or resources.
Beyond physical space, capacity implies a threshold of efficiency. In advanced contexts, it describes the upper limit of a system's output. When a system operates at capacity, it is at peak performance, leaving no margin for error or additional load. This term is vital in logistics, economics, and engineering.
Historically rooted in the Latin capacitas, the term conveys the fundamental limit of containment. In high-level discourse, it denotes the intersection of potential and reality. To be 'at capacity' signifies that the boundary between available resources and exhaustion has been met, necessitating either expansion or a reduction in demand. It is a precise descriptor for maximum saturation in any given domain, from human cognitive limits to industrial throughput.
capacity en 30 secondes
- Capacity means the maximum limit.
- It is often used with 'at'.
- It applies to space and systems.
- It is a formal, precise word.
Hey there! When we use capacity as an adjective, we are talking about a space that has hit its absolute limit. Think of a concert hall where every single seat is taken; that venue is at capacity.
It is not just for buildings, though! You might hear about a factory running at capacity, which means they are producing as many goods as their machines possibly can. It is a word that signals there is simply no room left for anything else.
The word capacity comes from the Latin word capacitas, which means 'breadth' or 'ability to hold.' It traveled through Old French before landing in English during the 15th century.
Originally, it referred to the mental power to understand things. Over time, the meaning shifted to include physical space and volume. It is fascinating how a word that once described a person's intelligence now helps us describe a crowded stadium or a busy airport!
You will mostly hear this word in professional or formal settings. We often use it with verbs like reach or operate.
For example, saying 'The stadium reached capacity' is very common in news reports. It is a precise way to say 'full' without sounding too casual. In a business context, saying a plant is 'operating at capacity' sounds much more professional than saying it is 'working as hard as it can.'
While 'capacity' itself is formal, it appears in several key phrases.
- At full capacity: Working at the maximum limit.
- Reach capacity: To become completely full.
- Exceed capacity: To go over the limit, which is usually dangerous.
- Capacity crowd: A group of people that fills a venue.
- In a professional capacity: Doing something as part of one's job.
Pronounced kuh-PASS-ih-tee, the stress is on the second syllable. It is a noun that functions adjectivally in phrases like 'a capacity crowd.'
It is an uncountable noun when referring to the abstract concept of space, but can be used in the plural 'capacities' when talking about different types of abilities or multiple storage tanks. It rhymes with words like tenacity and velocity.
Le savais-tu ?
It shares a root with the word 'capture'.
Guide de prononciation
- stressing the first syllable
- mispronouncing the 'c' as 's'
- swallowing the 't' sound
Niveau de difficulté
easy
easy
easy
easy
Quoi apprendre ensuite
Prérequis
Apprends ensuite
Avancé
Grammaire à connaître
Prepositional Phrases
at capacity
Noun Countability
capacities
Subject-Verb Agreement
The room is at capacity
Exemples par niveau
The bus is at capacity.
bus is full
at + noun
The room is at capacity.
room is full
at + noun
No more seats, we are at capacity.
no empty seats
short sentence
The park is at capacity.
park is full
at + noun
The theater is at capacity.
theater is full
at + noun
The store is at capacity.
store is full
at + noun
The train is at capacity.
train is full
at + noun
We are at capacity today.
we are full
at + noun
The hotel is at capacity for the weekend.
The stadium reached capacity by noon.
The parking lot is at capacity.
Our office is at capacity today.
The restaurant is at capacity.
The elevator is at capacity.
The flight is at capacity.
The boat is at capacity.
The factory is operating at full capacity.
The concert was performed before a capacity crowd.
The hospital is currently at capacity.
Our servers are running at capacity.
The venue reached capacity within minutes.
The power grid is at capacity.
The school is at capacity this year.
The warehouse is at capacity.
The facility is operating at maximum capacity.
The stadium was filled to capacity.
The system is at capacity and cannot process more data.
We are working at capacity to meet the deadline.
The city's water supply is at capacity.
The bridge is at capacity during rush hour.
The network is at capacity.
The airport is at capacity due to the holiday.
The plant is functioning at peak capacity.
The infrastructure is at capacity and requires expansion.
The theater played to a capacity audience.
The data center is at capacity.
The stadium has a capacity crowd of 50,000.
The supply chain is at capacity.
The reservoir is at capacity.
The court was at capacity for the trial.
The industrial output is currently at capacity.
The stadium's capacity crowd cheered loudly.
The system is strained as it nears capacity.
The venue was at capacity for the gala.
The logistics network is at capacity.
The power plant is at capacity.
The stadium reached its maximum capacity.
The facility is at capacity.
Collocations courantes
Expressions idiomatiques
"at full capacity"
using all available resources
We are working at full capacity.
neutral"reach capacity"
to become full
The parking lot reached capacity.
neutral"capacity crowd"
a full audience
The band played to a capacity crowd.
neutral"beyond capacity"
more than the limit
The room was filled beyond capacity.
formal"in a professional capacity"
as part of one's job
I am here in a professional capacity.
formal"limited capacity"
not much room
The battery has limited capacity.
neutralFacile à confondre
similar root
Capability is skill; capacity is volume.
She has the capability to learn; the room has the capacity to hold.
both relate to space
Volume is the amount; capacity is the limit.
The volume of water is high; the tank is at capacity.
both relate to room
Space is general; capacity is a limit.
There is space left; we are at capacity.
both describe dimensions
Size is how big; capacity is how much it fits.
The size is large; the capacity is 100.
Structures de phrases
The [Noun] is at capacity.
The hotel is at capacity.
We reached capacity at [Time].
We reached capacity at noon.
The [Noun] is operating at capacity.
The plant is operating at capacity.
We have a capacity of [Number].
We have a capacity of 50.
The [Noun] was filled to capacity.
The room was filled to capacity.
Famille de mots
Noms
Verbes
Adjectifs
Apparenté
Comment l'utiliser
7
-
using 'capacity' for people
→
using 'full'
Capacity usually refers to the space, not the people themselves.
-
saying 'very capacity'
→
at capacity
Capacity is a noun, not an adjective that takes 'very'.
-
confusing with 'capability'
→
use capacity for space
Capability is for skill, capacity is for volume.
-
pluralizing incorrectly
→
capacities
If you must pluralize, use -ies.
-
using 'at' with 'full'
→
at full capacity
You need the preposition 'at' to show state.
Astuces
Memory Palace Trick
Picture a bottle with a CAP on it.
When Native Speakers Use It
In news reports about crowds.
Cultural Insight
Commonly used in sports.
Grammar Shortcut
Always use 'at' with capacity.
Say It Right
Focus on the second syllable.
Don't Make This Mistake
Don't use it as an adjective for people.
Did You Know?
It comes from Latin.
Study Smart
Use it in a sentence about a bus.
Business English
Use it to describe production.
Pluralization
Only pluralize for abilities.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
CAP-acity: Think of a cap on a bottle; when it hits the cap, it's full.
Association visuelle
A stadium with every seat filled.
Word Web
Défi
Describe a place you know that is always at capacity.
Origine du mot
Latin
Sens originel : breadth or ability to hold
Contexte culturel
None.
Used frequently in sports and logistics.
Pratique dans la vie réelle
Contextes réels
at work
- working at capacity
- full production capacity
travel
- at capacity
- no seats left
events
- capacity crowd
- sold out
engineering
- maximum capacity
- system capacity
Amorces de conversation
"Is your office at capacity today?"
"What is the capacity of your favorite stadium?"
"Have you ever been to a concert at capacity?"
"Do you think our city is at capacity?"
"How do you manage your personal capacity?"
Sujets d'écriture
Describe a time you were in a place at capacity.
How do you know when you are at your personal capacity?
Why do venues have capacity limits?
Write about a machine working at capacity.
Questions fréquentes
8 questionsNo, it can also refer to power or ability.
No, that is grammatically incorrect.
Capacities.
It is neutral to formal.
Volume is the measurement; capacity is the limit.
Yes, meaning they are too busy.
A crowd that fills the venue.
kuh-PASS-ih-tee.
Teste-toi
The room is at ___.
The phrase is 'at capacity'.
What does 'at capacity' mean?
It means it cannot hold more.
Capacity refers to how much something can hold.
Correct definition.
Word
Signification
Synonym/Antonym matching.
Correct syntax.
Score : /5
Summary
Capacity is the absolute limit of what something can hold or produce.
- Capacity means the maximum limit.
- It is often used with 'at'.
- It applies to space and systems.
- It is a formal, precise word.
Memory Palace Trick
Picture a bottle with a CAP on it.
When Native Speakers Use It
In news reports about crowds.
Cultural Insight
Commonly used in sports.
Grammar Shortcut
Always use 'at' with capacity.
Exemple
We had a capacity crowd at the local theater for the opening night of the play.
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