disabled
Americanadjective
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physically or mentally impaired, injured, or incapacitated.
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not working or operating properly, or at all; incapable or made incapable of functioning: They called the Coast Guard to tow the disabled boat to shore.
This feature is normally disabled on company computers.
They called the Coast Guard to tow the disabled boat to shore.
noun
adjective
Sensitive Note
Disabled is a comprehensive umbrella term to describe people or communities of people who live with functional limitations in carrying out major life activities, such as walking, lifting, seeing, or learning. When should disabled be used to describe someone? First, in many cases, there is no need to mention disability; it is often not relevant to the information being conveyed. In most cases, when disabilities are mentioned, it is preferable to name the person’s specific physical or mental condition, like diabetes or traumatic brain injury. However, when addressing an issue that affects the larger community of people living with such functional limitations in daily activities, for example, when discussing accessibility in the workplace, disabled and disability are the appropriate terms. Some people prefer person-first constructions like “a person with a disability” to emphasize the whole person, not defined exclusively by living with a disability. Others use identity-first language like “a disabled person” to center the disability as an important aspect of identity and push back on the presupposition that disability is inherently negative, unmentionable, or something to be politely ignored. Following similar logic, the euphemisms “special,” “challenged,” “differently abled,” and “handicapable” are not recommended. The straightforward, simple, and descriptive term disabled is preferred.
Usage
Nowadays it is better to refer to people with physical disabilities of various kinds by describing the specific difficulty in question rather than talking about the disabled as a group, which is considered somewhat offensive. Some people also object to the word disabled to refer to facilities for people with disabilites, and prefer the word accessible
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disabled
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.
The commissioner said it could more negatively impact those in rural and remote areas, those with family overseas, disabled children and those who rely on online communities for support with their identity.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
York-based charity Family Fund provides grants for essential household items for families with disabled children and young people.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
The majority dismissed Hamm as improvidently granted, sparing the life of the defendant, Joseph Smith, and rejecting Alabama’s request for freer rein to execute intellectually disabled people.
From Slate • May 23, 2026
Mark Joseph Stern: The Supreme Court held 25 years ago that it is cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment to execute intellectually disabled people.
From Slate • May 23, 2026
For the immediate future, our partnership with the Oakland Police Department has been suspended, and the metal detectors have been disabled.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
