disabled

American  

[dis-ey-buhld] / dɪsˈeɪ bəld /

adjective

1. physically or mentally impaired, injured, or incapacitated.

2. 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.

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noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. Usually the disabled physically or mentally impaired people.

   Ramps have been installed at the entrances to accommodate the disabled.

disabled British  

/ dɪˈseɪbəld /

adjective

1. 1. lacking one or more physical powers, such as the ability to walk or to coordinate one's movements, as from the effects of a disease or accident, or through mental impairment

   2. ( as collective noun; preceded by the )

      the disabled

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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

• nondisabled
  noun
• semidisabled
  adjective
• undisabled
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of disabled

First recorded in 1625–35; disable + -ed ²

Example Sentences

The Social Security Disability Insurance program, on the other hand, is a federal, payroll-tax-funded insurance program that provides cash benefits to disabled workers and their eligible dependents.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

The actor was treated with CAR T-cell therapy, which uses a disabled virus to genetically reprogram human infection-fighting T-cells, enabling them to target specific cancers.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

Carey said it’s wrong to reduce a disabled person’s SSI benefits for choosing or needing to live with loved ones.

From Salon • Apr. 29, 2026

Her goal wasn’t to win, but to help ensure her disabled ex received a settlement that wouldn’t jeopardize his benefits.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 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

Related Words

• broken
• broken-down
• down
• in disrepair
• inoperative
• out of order
• out of service