capacity

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With regard to computer and information systems, capacity refers to the storage and transaction processing capability of computer systems, the network and/or the datacenter. See capacity on demand and storage capacity.

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Ability to produce during a given time period, with an upper limit imposed by the availability of space, machinery, labor, materials, or capital. Capacity may be expressed in units, weights, size, dollars, man-hours, labor cost, etc. Typically, there are five different concepts of capacity.
(1) Ideal capacity -volume of activity that could be attained under ideal operating conditions, with minimum allowance for inefficiency.
It is the largest volume of output possible. Also called theoretical capacity, engineered capacity, or maximum capacity.
(2) Practical capacity -highest activity level at which the factory can operate with an acceptable degree of efficiency, taking into consideration unavoidable losses of productive time (i.e., vacations, holidays, repairs to equipment). Also called maximum practical capacity.
(3) Normal capacity -average level of operating activity that is sufficient to fill the demand for the company's products or services for a span of several years, taking into consideration seasonal and cyclical demands and increasing or decreasing trends in demand.
(4) Expected actual capacity -similar to normal capacity, except it is a short-run level based on demand, it minimizes under- or overapplied overhead but does not provide a consistent basis for assigning overhead cost. Per-unit overhead will fluctuate because of short-term changes in the expected level of output. Also called planned capacity.
(5) Operating capacity -similar to planned capacity except the time period is within a small slice of a single year (i.e., daily, monthly, quarterly).

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noun

1. Physical, mental, financial, or legal power to perform: ability, capability, competence, competency, faculty, might. See ability/inability.
2. The ability or power to seize or attain: compass, grasp, range, reach, scope. See ability/inability.

n

Definition: ability; competency
Antonyms: impotence, inability, incompetence

In hydrology, the maximum amount of debris that the stream can move as bed load. The capacity is dependent on the discharge and on the nature of the load; a stream may be able to carry more weight if the particles are small than if a load of the same volume were of large boulders.

1. See carrying capacity.
2. The volume contained in a vessel.
3. The maximum or minimum water flow obtainable under given conditions (e.g., specified conditions of pressure, temperature, and velocity).

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Another term for a thing's potentiality (see actuality and potentiality).

The maximum amount something can contain, absorb, or produce independent of time (compare power). The term is used in relation to the total amount of ATP that can be produced by an energy system.

This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

The ability, capability, or fitness to do something; a legal right, power, or competency to perform some act. An ability to comprehend both the nature and consequences of one's acts.

Capacity relates to soundness of mind and to an intelligent understanding and perception of one's actions. It is the power either to create or to enter into a legal relation under the same conditions or circumstances as a person of sound mind or normal intelligence would have the power to create or to enter.

A person of normal intelligence and sound mind has the capacity to dispose of his or her property by will as he or she sees fit.

A capacity defense is used in both criminal and civil actions to describe a lack of fundamental ability to be accountable for one's action that nullifies the element of intent when intent is essential to the action, thereby relieving a person of responsibility for it.

An individual under duress lacks the capacity to contract; a child under the age of seven accused of committing a crime lacks criminal capacity.

The maximum level of output of goods and/or services that a given system can potentially produce over a set period of time. In most cases, it is unlikely that any system will operate at full capacity for prolonged periods, because natural inefficiencies and other factors decrease potential output.

Investopedia Says:
The widget manufacturer may be able to produce 150,000 widgets in a month. However, due to downtime because of equipment maintenance and worker illness, only about 130,000 widgets can actually be produced per month. Over the long run, a business can increase its capacity and output by acquiring more factors of productions. For example, if market demand for widgets spikes, the widget manufacturer can buy more equipment and hire more workers, and thus increase its capacity to 175,000 widgets per month.

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If you don't know how to evaluate a company's present performance and its possible future performance, you need to learn how to analyze ratios. Ratio Analysis Tutorial

IN BRIEF: The amount of space that can be filled.

The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention. — Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879).

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As it pertains to airports, it is the ability of an airport to handle a given volume of traffic. It is a limit that cannot be exceeded without incurring an operational penalty.

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The power to hold, retain, or contain, or the ability to absorb; usually expressed numerically as the measure of such ability.

• carrying c. — see carrying capacity.
• closing c. (CC) — the volume of gas in the lungs at the time of airway closure. See also closing volume.
• forced vital c. — the maximal volume of gas that can be exhaled from full inspiration exhaling as forcefully and rapidly as possible. See also pulmonary function tests.
• functional residual c. — the amount of gas remaining at the end of normal quiet respiration.
• heat c. — thermal capacity.
• inspiratory c. — the volume of gas that can be taken into the lungs in a full inspiration, starting from the resting inspiratory position; equal to the tidal volume plus the inspiratory reserve volume.
• maximal breathing c. — maximal voluntary ventilation.
• thermal c. — the amount of heat absorbed by a body in being raised 1°C.
• total lung c. — the amount of gas contained in the lung at the end of a maximal inspiration.
• virus neutralizing c. — the ability of a serum to inhibit the infectivity of a virus.
• vital c. — the volume of gas that can be expelled from the lungs from a position of full inspiration, with no limit to duration of expiration; equal to inspiratory capacity plus expiratory reserve volume.

n

Legal qualification, competency, power, or fitness.

For a list of words related to capacity, see:

• Customs, Formalities, and Practices - capacity: ability to understand facts and implications of one’s behavior

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See words rhyming with "capacity."

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - evne, kapacitet, rumfang, egenskab
adj. - rumfangs-

Nederlands (Dutch)
aanleg, hoedanigheid, capaciteit, inhoud, vermogen, wettelijke bevoegdheid, vol (uitverkochte zaal)

Français (French)
n. - contenance, capacité, capacité d'accueil, capacité (de produire), qualité de, à titre de, don pour, aptitude à, les moyens de, à la portée de, (Aut) cylindrée, (Électron) capacité, (Jur) capacité
adj. - d'une contenance, d'une capacité de

Deutsch (German)
n. - Fähigkeit, Kapazität, Volumen, Fassungsvermögen, Eigenschaft
adj. - äußerst, ausverkauft

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ικανότητα, χωρητικότητα, ιδιότητα

Italiano (Italian)
talento, prestazione, capacità, capienza

idioms:

• unit of capacity    unità di misura di volume

Português (Portuguese)
n. - capacidade (f) (Fís.) (Jur.), lotação (f)

idioms:

• unit of capacity    unidade de capacitação

Русский (Russian)
способность, мощность, вместимость, емкость

idioms:

• unit of capacity    единица мощности

Español (Spanish)
n. - aptitud, talento, potencia, rendimiento, capacidad, cabida
adj. - aptitud, talento, potencia, rendimiento, capacidad, cabida

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - kapacitet, rymd, förmåga, effekt, fattningsförmåga, bemyndigande, egenskap, volym

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
容量, 才能, 能力, 充满的, 达到最大限度的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 容量, 才能, 能力
adj. - 充滿的, 達到最大限度的

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 수용량, 용적, 능력, 자격
adj. - 최대한의, 꽉 찬

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 収容力, 容量, 容積, 能力, 耐える力, 最大出力, 資格, 力量, 収容能力

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) قدرة, مقدرة, طاقه, سعه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮קיבולת, יכולת, קליטה, מעמד, יכולת-הבנה, תפקיד‬
adj. - ‮בעל יכולת קיבולת מירבית‬

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Some good "capacity" pages on the web: