ETYM French habileté, earlier spelling habilité (with silent h), Latin habilitas aptitude, ability, from habilis apt. Related to Able.
1. Possession of the qualities (especially mental qualities) required to do something or get something done; SYN. power.
2. The quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishment. + prikaži više

ETYM French gouvernement. Related to Govern.
1. The act of governing; exercising authority; SYN. governing, governance.
2. The organization that is the governing authority of a political unit; SYN. authorities, regime.
3. The system or form by which a community or other political unit is governed.
Any system whereby political authority is exercised. Modern systems of government distinguish between liberal democracies, totalitarian (one-party) states, and autocracies (authoritarian, relying on force rather than ideology). The Greek philosopher Aristotle was the first to attempt a systematic classification of governments. His main distinctions were between government by one person, by few, and by many (monarchy, oligarchy, and democracy), although the characteristics of each may vary between states and each may degenerate into tyranny (rule by an oppressive elite in the case of oligarchy or by the mob in the case of democracy).
The French philosopher Montesquieu distinguished between constitutional governments—whether monarchies or republics —which operated under various legal and other constraints, and despotism, which was not constrained in this way. Many of the words used (dictatorship, tyranny, totalitarian, democratic) have acquired negative or positive connotations that make it difficult to use them objectively. The term liberal democracy was coined to distinguish Western types of democracy from the many other political systems that claimed to be democratic. Its principal characteristics are the existence of more than one political party, relatively open processes of government and political debate, and a separation of powers. Totalitarian has been applied to both fascist and communist states and denotes a system where all power is centralized in the state, which in turn is controlled by a single party that derives its legitimacy from an exclusive ideology. Autocracy describes a form of government that has emerged in a number.
Of Third World countries, where state power is in the hands either of an individual or of the army; normally ideology is not a central factor, individual freedoms tend to be suppressed where they may constitute a challenge to the authority of the ruling group, and there is a reliance upon force. Other useful distinctions are between federal governments (where powers are dispersed among various regions which in certain respects are self-governing) and unitary governments (where powers are concentrated in a central authority); and between presidential (where the head of state is also the directly elected head of government, not part of the legislature) and parliamentary systems (where the government is drawn from an elected legislature that can dismiss it). + prikaži više

ETYM Old Eng. pouer, poer, Old Fren. poeir, pooir, French pouvoir, n and v , from Late Lat. potere, for Latin posse, potesse, to be able, to have power. Related to Possible, Potent, Posse comitatus.
1. Possession of controlling influence; SYN. powerfulness, potency.
2. One possessing or exercising power or influence or authority; SYN. force.
3. (Physics) The rate of doing work; measured in watts (joules/second). + prikaži više

(Irregular preterit, past participle: could, been able).
1. Know how to.
2. Be physically or mentally able to.
3. used to indicate possibility — sometimes used interchangeably with may.
4. Be permitted by conscience or feeling to.
5. Be made possible or probable by circumstances to.
6. Be inherently able or designed to.
7. Be logically or axiologically able to.
8. Be enabled by law, agreement, or custom to.
9. Have permission to — used interchangeably with may. + prikaži više

1. To get to or be allowed to do something; SYN. can, get.
2 — used in auxiliary function to express a wish or desire especially in prayer, imprecation, or benediction
3 — used in auxiliary function expressing purpose or expectation or contingency or concession or choice
4. Shall, must — used in law where the sense, purpose, or policy requires this interpretation + prikaži više