able-bodied

American  

[ey-buhl-bod-eed] / ˈeɪ bəlˈbɒd id /

adjective

1. having a strong, healthy body; physically fit.

   A couple of able-bodied guys dragged the tree off to the shoulder of the road and got traffic moving again.

2. Sometimes Offensive. free from or unaffected by physical disability.

   There is a three-month limit on food assistance benefits for able-bodied adults who work fewer than 20 hours per week.

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able-bodied British  

adjective

1. physically strong and healthy; robust

2. not having a physical disability

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Sensitive Note

The description able-bodied to characterize people who are not living with a disability is increasingly considered offensive, primarily because of two negative connotations associated with the term. First, defining the population who is not living with a physical disability as able-bodied diminishes those who are enabled by accommodation or adaptive aids. Combating ableism and embracing equal rights and opportunities means emphasizing the qualifications of the individual, whether or not that person uses assistive technology to access or participate in an activity. Further, the term able-bodied does not fully align with the requirements of the modern job market, which is no longer exclusively defined by physical labor. Historically the descriptor able-bodied was used to distinguish nondisabled people from those living with a disability, and also from children, the elderly, and pregnant women. It is still used today in some government documentation to indicate eligibility for employment or military service. In its use as a legal designation in administering programs for people in poverty, able-bodied has become a politicized word. When determining who is deserving of public aid, it is fair to expect those who are able to work to fully pursue opportunities that make them self-sufficient; financial assistance is allocated to those who are unable to support themselves. However, the insinuation that unemployed or underemployed people designated as able-bodied are choosing assistance over work out of laziness or greed does not take into account other barriers to employment, like insufficient education and training, mental illness, cognitive and emotional challenges, or other personal limitations that are not physical. When not referring to a specific legal designation, it is better to refer to people as nondisabled , enabled , or not living with (a specified impairment), and to be as precise as possible.

Usage

Preferred form: non-disabled

Other Word Forms

• able-bodiedness noun

Etymology

Origin of able-bodied

First recorded in 1610–20; able ( def. ) + bodied ( def. )

Example Sentences

“You’re in the hands of some of the most able-bodied human beings on the planet,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

It could revolutionize welfare by testing aptitude, providing individual training, and matching able-bodied welfare recipients with available jobs.

From The Wall Street Journal

At the final selection, I, along with all the other able-bodied souls, was shunted to one side, headed for the newly built Plaszow forced-labor camp.

From Literature

It was heartening to know that airline employees, albeit powerless, know about able-bodied passengers gaming system to skip the lines.

From The Wall Street Journal

The flight attendant explained to Gomez that many able-bodied passengers request wheelchairs for “the VIP experience”—an escort down the jetway that lets them skip the lines and gives them first crack at overhead space.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• strapping