Capability
Also known as: capabilities
A capability is a discrete thing a model can do well: write correct code, follow multi-step instructions, translate, reason about a math problem.
When people compare models they’re usually comparing capabilities:
- “Better at coding”
- “Stronger long-form reasoning”
- “More reliable at following instructions”
Useful habit: don't ask "which model is best?" — ask "best *at what*?" Capability is the real unit of comparison, and it's task-specific.