disability

American  

[dis-uh-bil-i-tee] / ˌdɪs əˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun

• disabilities
  plural

1. lack of adequate power, strength, or physical or mental ability; incapacity.

   Synonyms:

   deficit, impairment

   Antonyms:

   capacity, ability

2. a physical or mental impairment, especially one that hinders or prevents a person from performing tasks of daily living, carrying out work or household responsibilities, or engaging in leisure and social activities.

3. anything that disables or puts one at a disadvantage.

   His mere six-foot height will be a disability in professional basketball.

4. the state or condition of being disabled.

5. legal incapacity; legal disqualification.

6. disability insurance.

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disability British  

/ ˌdɪsəˈbɪlɪtɪ /

noun

1. the condition of being unable to perform a task or function because of a physical or mental impairment

2. something that disables; handicap

3. lack of necessary intelligence, strength, etc

4. an incapacity in the eyes of the law to enter into certain transactions

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Sensitive Note

Disability is a general term for one or more functional limitations in carrying out major life activities. A disability may be physical, mental, or sensory. The language used to describe disabilities and people with disabilities has changed over time, and older words and phrases like cripple, handicapped, or special needs are no longer recommended and often cause offense. In many cases there is no reason to mention someone’s disability at all; however, when you do introduce disability as a part of an individual’s whole self, it is usually preferable to be specific: “a woman with cerebral palsy” rather than generically “a woman with a disability.” Sometimes the important information is a person’s membership in the disability community, in which case the umbrella term disability is appropriate: “employer accommodation for an employee with a disability.” Some people, especially in the disability rights community, prefer to write disability as dis/ability, (dis)ability, or disAbility in an effort to emphasize ability and minimize ableism. In the same spirit, some also use the words able and ability to mean disabled or disability, as in: “Able team members are asked to share accessibility concerns with their team leader” or “The city council will defer to the recommendations of the ability committee.” This use of able and ability is criticized by some for being unclear or overly euphemistic and is not preferred over the straightforward terms disabled and disability.

Usage

Many deaf and hard of hearing people object to the use of the phrase hearing disability

Synonym Usage

Disability, inability imply a lack of power or ability. A disability is a functional limitation, physical or other: excused because of a physical disability; a temporary disability. Inability is a lack of ability, usually because of an inherent lack of talent, power, etc.: inability to talk; inability to do well in higher mathematics.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• disabilities
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of disability

First recorded in 1570–80; dis- ¹ + ability

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Explanation

A disability is a physical or mental condition that can make it more difficult or impossible for someone to complete some task or participate in some activity. Break down this word and you get dis and ability — literally, "the opposite of ability." Many people with disabilities, however, learn to adapt to and overcome the challenges a disability can present. A person who is blind has a physical disability, while a person with dyslexia has a learning disability. This word can also be used figuratively. You might consider your fear of heights and poor sense of balance to be disabilities when trying to scale a rock-climbing wall.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

disability disabilities

Presented by Nick Knowles, DIY SOS sees a team transform the homes of families who are facing severe illness, disability, bereavement or building disasters.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

Additional initiatives, including 15 new Olympic and Paralympic murals and disability arts celebrations, depend on further funding.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Official figures show there are more seven-year-olds on disability benefits than 50-year-olds, according to the Daily Telegraph.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

Osteoarthritis is the world's most common form of arthritis and a major cause of disability.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

For building disability awareness and as an educational tool for success in the performing arts.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Also exposed was information about student disabilities and student eligibility status for federal programs, such as those available to help students from low-income families.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

The Department for Work and Pensions, which is currently reviewing the system, says it’s spending a further £3.5 billion toward helping those with disabilities get jobs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

Currently, Connecticut’s just-cause eviction laws only cover senior citizens and people with disabilities in buildings with more than five units.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

Another area of rising costs is students with disabilities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

This chapter addresses the issue of several types of musical inclusion, including music and gender, and music for children with autism, ADD/ADHD, learning and physical disabilities.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

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Related Words

• cognitive impairment
• debilitation
• impairment
• incapacitation
• intellectual disability
• limitation
• restriction

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