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
Derived 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.
As a finicky eater who happens to be queer, Black and disabled, I wouldn’t touch durian, duck tongues or most of the basket items on the Food Network TV show, “Chopped.”
From Salon • Jun. 15, 2026
Once this gene was disabled, the plants no longer produced their characteristic red pigmentation.
From Science Daily • Jun. 15, 2026
Given that at least half of the remodeling cost is to accommodate my disabled mother, I’m wondering if some of this may be tax deductible.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 15, 2026
Apple also recently disabled searches for the term in its app store.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026
I was distressed that I had been disabled, however briefly, by the pain, and I did my best to hide my agony.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
