capacidad

Capacidad is a Spanish noun that refers to the amount that a container, space, or system can hold, as well as to the ability or competence of a person or thing to perform or withstand something. The term derives from Latin capacitas, from capax, meaning capable of holding, with the suffix -itas forming a noun of quality.

In everyday use, capacidad most often denotes physical or volumetric capacity: the maximum volume a tank or bottle can contain, or the amount a warehouse can store. It also appears in technical contexts to indicate the maximum output of equipment or a process, such as production capacity or bandwidth capacity.

Capacidad also denotes ability, competence, or potential: a person's mental or physical capacity to learn or perform tasks; or the capacity of a team to complete a project. In social and educational settings, capacity-building refers to actions to increase these abilities.

Legal and administrative usage explains capacidad in terms of legal power to act: capacidad jurídica or capacidad de obrar in civil law. Installed capacity, used in industry, designates the maximum productive capacity of a facility under normal conditions, whereas effective capacity accounts for downtime and maintenance.

Usage examples: "La capacidad del vaso es de 350 mililitros" or "La empresa aumentó su capacidad de producción para satisfacer la demanda." In English-language technical writing, capacity is often quantified in liters, bytes, or units per time, depending on the domain.