What does formidability mean?
Formidability is a noun denoting the quality of being formidable — that is, of inspiring fear, respect, or awe through great power, skill, size, or difficulty. It captures both sides of the adjective 'formidable': a person's formidability may reflect an admirable mastery (a formidable opponent at chess), while the formidability of a task emphasizes how daunting or hard to overcome it is. The word is formal and relatively rare compared with its root, appearing mostly in serious journalism, criticism, and analysis rather than everyday conversation. Its connotation ranges from admiring to intimidating depending on context. It derives ultimately from the Latin formidare, 'to fear', and entered English via the adjective formidable in the seventeenth century. Writers reach for it when they want to name, as a single abstract quality, the imposing presence or resistance that a person, institution, or challenge presents.
nounThe quality of being formidable; the degree to which someone or something inspires fear, respect, or awe through their power, skill, or difficulty to overcome.
- The quality of being formidable — inspiring awe, respect, or dread through power, skill, or scale.
- The quality of being difficult to overcome, deal with, or accomplish.
"The team's formidability was evident from the opening minutes of the match."
"The chess prodigy's formidability unsettled even veteran grandmasters."
"The sheer formidability of the paperwork deterred many would-be applicants."
A plural form exists grammatically but is rarely used; the word almost always appears as a singular mass noun referring to an abstract quality.
"The report catalogued the formidabilities of the terrain facing the expedition."
Its Latin root means exactly what you'd hope: from formido, the Latin word for the cold terror a battlefield inspires.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of formidability
Formidability derives from the adjective 'formidable', which English borrowed from French at the start of the seventeenth century. The French and Latin root is formido, meaning 'fear' or 'terror' — in Roman usage it described the dread inspired on the battlefield, and also named a kind of scarecrow used to frighten birds. The noun formidability was formed within English by adding the Latinate suffix '-ity', which turns qualities into abstract nouns. Related words sharing this root include formidable itself and its adverb formidably.
Related word forms
How formidability is actually used
Formidability is a formal, somewhat literary word, far less common than its adjective source 'formidable'. It carries a neutral-to-positive connotation: it can denote admirable excellence as well as intimidating power, so context usually determines whether the sense is admiring or daunting. It is used in both British and American English with no regional difference.
Easily confused with formidability
'Formidable' is the adjective describing something inspiring awe or dread, while 'formidability' is the noun naming that quality itself.