Now, turning to Popper’s W2, there’s ‘capacity,’ i.e., the mental or
intellectual receiving power; ability to grasp or take in impressions, ideas,
knowledge. 1485. Caxton, tr. The Story & Life of Charles the Great: “After the
capacity of my little entendement, I have ordained this book.” 1574. J. Baret
Aluearie, “To apply himself to the capacity of the scholar.” 1671. Milton,
“Samson Agonistes”: “Capacity not raised/to value what is best.” 1713. G.
Berkeley, “Wks.”: “He wants capacity to relish what true piety is.” 1836. W.
Hamilton, “Lectures in Metaphysics: “Faculty is active power; capacity is
passive power.” Also, active power or force of mind; mental ABILITY, talent.
1597. R. Hooker, “Of Laws Eccl. Politie”: “Has not perhaps the wit nor capacity
to tread out so endless mazes.” 1673. A. Marvell, “Poems & Letters”: “Ready to
serve them to the best of your capacities.” 1713. R. Steele in Guardian: “The
fellow was a person of diligence and capacity.” 1856. J. Ruskin, “Modern
Painters”: “Everlasting difference is set between one man’s capacity and
another’s.” 1868. W. Hazlitt in tr. Paris & Vienne Prol.: “My capacity is not
sufficient for the proper handling of such matters.” In general, the power,
ability, or faculty for anything in particular, in constructions with “of,”
“for,” or infinitive. 1647. Bishop J. Taylor, “Θεολογία Ἐκλεκτική”: “Enable him
with the capacities of our Saviour and Lord.” 1736. Bp. J. Butler, “Analogy of
Religion”: “We are endued with capacities of action, of happiness and misery.”
1749. H. Fielding, “Tom Jones”: “The capacity of removing themselves from one
place to another.” 1833. H. Martineau, “Charmed Sea”: “Sophia seems to have
lost the capacity of loving.” 1869. Buckle, “Hist. Civilisation Eng.”: “As
society advanced there arose a capacity for self-protection.” 1883 Nature:
“The means of determining exact positions in astronomy and the capacity to
reduce them.” Also, the quality or condition of admitting or being open to
action or treatment; capability, possibility. 1659. “Whole Duty of Man”:
“Several branches of justice answerable to those capacities of injury.” 1669.
J. Worlidge, “Systema Agric.”: “Of wet meadows or land under that capacity of
being overflown.” 1669. A. Marvell, “Poems & Letters”: “You have yet a capacity
of straightening the project.” 1719. D. Defoe, “Farther Adventures Robinson
Crusoe”: “To deprive them of the capacity of ever returning.” 1791. J. Smeaton,
“Narr. Edystone Lighthouse”: “That there should be a level area or the capacity
of making such a one.” 1825. J. R. McCulloch, “Princ. Polit. Econ.”: “Countries
possessed of the greatest capacities of improvement.” 1850. C. Daubeny, “Atom.
Theory”: “A capacity for infinite division.” Hence to be in, put into or out
of a capacity: i.e. a position which enables, or renders capable. 1649 Bp. J.
Taylor, “Great Exemplar”: “He instantly, if he be in capacity, leaves the wife
of his bosom.” 1669. A. Marvell, “Poems & Letters”: “The house not in a
capacity to finish that bill before their meeting in February.” 1672. A. Wood,
“Life”: “Being just in capacity of spending the remainder of his days in ease
and quietness, he died.” 1697 W. Dampier, “New Voyages around World”: “The
capacity we were then in, of settling ourselves at Mindanao.” 1725. D. Defoe,
“New Voyages round World”: “Not willing to put ourselves out of a Capacity of
planting farther.” 1804. A. Duncan, “Brit. Trident”: “Our galley alone was in a
capacity to begin the engagement.” Also: position, condition, character,
relation. 1649 King Charles I, “Wks.”: “He should be in a capacity of
honour.” 1655. T. Fuller, “Church-hist. Brit.”: “In what capacity these Jews
came over, I find not.” 1710. Pope, “Corr.”: “I am dead in a natural capacity,
dead in a poetical capacity, and dead in a civil capacity.” 1747. J. Hervey,
“Medit.”: “The moon is ready to act in the capacity of a guide.” 1835.
Buchanan, “Church Establishm.”: “Channels through which the mind of a people,
in their collective capacity, can be expressed.” 1849. Macaulay, “Hist. Eng.”:
“The king, in his individual capacity, has very little to give.” 1871. S.
Smiles, “Character”: “Storing his mind with facts for future use in his
capacity of biographer.” Also a relation, tenor, “sense” (of words): 1720. D.
Waterland, “Vindic. Christ's Divinity”: “Irenæus understood those texts in
that capacity.”
In its legal usage, a ‘capacitiy’ is a legal competency, or qualification.
Thus, “to be *in capacity*”, simpliciter, is to be legally qualified.
1480. S. Tymms, “Wills and Inventories of Bury St. Edmunds”: “Capacity in the
law to purchase, take, and receive possessions.”
1629. “The Use of Law”: “Persons attainted of felony or treason have no
capacity in them to take, obtain or purchase.”
1641. “Terms de la Ley”: “Capacity is when a man, or body politic or corporate
is able to give or take lands or other things, or to sue actions.”
1768. W. Blackstone, “Common Laws of England”: “The ecclesiastical court is the
judge of every testator’s capacity.”
1845. H. Stephen, “New Common Laws of England”: “The capacity of an alien may
be enlarged by his becoming a denizen.”
In compounds: C1. attrib. and Comb., as capacity-catching. 1904 Westm. Gaz.:
“A certain groundwork of school knowledge, enough..to serve for what Professor
Huxley called ‘capacity catching’.” 1905 Daily Chron.: “If you are out for
what Mr. Sidney Webb would style ‘capacity-catching’.” Passing into adj. That
reaches or fills the utmost capacity.1920. Times”: “Profits are not unduly
large in view of the fact that it is necessary to play almost to capacity
business.” 1925 Times Lit. Suppl.”: “Both the play and film are now drawing
capacity houses in London.” 1928. “Morning Post”: “A ‘capacity’ audience
greeted the appearance of M. Ravel.” 1929. “Morning Post”: “Swimming baths, of
course, attracted capacity crowds throughout the day.” 1965. Listener: ““A Hard
Day's Night” is running in six cinemas. The Beatles do capacity business.”
Cheers,
Speranza
