What does "capacity" mean in this question?
How long have you known this referee and in what capacity
I'm filling my university application I met this question which befuddled me.
Does it mean "are you familiar with the referee"?
No. This is the fourth definition for "capacity" in the Merriam-Webster dictionary:
duty, position, role
So, possible answers to "in what capacity" here would be, for example:
I worked with the referee at company XYZ, where we were both software developers.
The referee was my Maths teacher at school.
And an answer to the full question "How long have you known this referee and in what capacity" would be, for example:
- I worked with [name] from January 2007 to March 2009 at company XYZ, where we were both software developers.