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abled

American  
[ay-buhld] / ˈeɪ bəld /

adjective

  1. noting or relating to a person unaffected by physical, mental, or cognitive impairment; nondisabled.

    I don’t think abled folks realize how inaccessible basic infrastructure is.

  2. Rare. noting or relating to a disabled person who uses assistive technology or accommodations that make education, jobs, or other activities accessible to them.

    Teachers and institutions need to understand that if tools are provided to children with disabilities, they will become abled individuals in society.


abled British  
/ ˈeɪbəld /

adjective

  1. having a range of physical powers as specified (esp in the phrases less abled, differently abled )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of abled

First recorded in 1945–50; back formation from disabled ( def. )


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

It’s a brutal reminder that we all are temporarily abled.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026

Mr. Charles’s interest in alternatively abled people, or people who can do special things, that interest has long tentacles.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026

Most often you see disabled women in romantic films, with the story’s focus on how an abled man will find the ability to love a woman with a disability.

From Salon ● Dec. 5, 2024

She said she wanted to help those who were "financially excluded or differently abled".

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2024

Yet was I abled now to see that there went a bulk between me and the far shinings, and did know that this great thing was surely the hill on which the Pyramid did stand.

From The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson

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