Ukuqabula wukuthinta noma ukucindezela izindebe zomuntu ngokumelene nomunye umuntu noma into. Izincazelo zamasiko zokuqabulana ziyahlukahluka kakhulu. Ngokuya ngesiko nengqikithi, ukuqabula kungabonisa imizwa yothando, uthando, ezothando, ukuheha ngokocansi, ezocansi, ukuvusa ucansi, uthando, inhlonipho, ukubingelela, ubungani, ukuthula, nenhlanhla, phakathi kokunye okuningi. Kwezinye izimo, ukuqabula kuyisiko, isenzo esisemthethweni noma esingokomfanekiso esibonisa ukuzinikela, inhlonipho, noma isakramente. Leli gama laqhamuka ku-Old English cyssan ("ukuqabula"), kwavela ku-coss ("ukwanga"). Abanye ososayensi be-anthropology bakholelwa ukuthi ukuqabula kungokwemvelo futhi kuyinkimbinkimbi, njengoba kuguquke emisebenzini enjengokuncela noma ngaphambi kwesikhathi, abanye basikisela ukuthi kwavela ekuhloleni impilo yalowo ozoba umlingani ngokuhlola amathe abo, kepha abanye bakholelwa ukuthi lokho kungukuziphatha okufundwayo . Ukubhekiswa kokuqala kokuziphatha okufana nokuqabulana kuvela emiBhalweni ye-Vedas, Sanskrit eyazisa ubuHindu, ubuBuddha kanye nobuJainism, eminyakeni engaba ngu-3 500 eyedlule, ngokusho kukaVaughn Bryant, isazi semvelaphi yabantu eTexas A & M University ogxile emlandweni wokwanga. Kokubili ukuqabulana kwezindebe nolimi kushiwo ezinkondlweni zaseSumerian: Izindebe zami zincane kakhulu, ziyazi ukungangiqabuli.