disable

[ dis-ey-buhl ]

/ dɪsˈeɪ bəl /

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See synonyms for: disable / disabled / disables / disabling on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), dis·a·bled, dis·a·bling.

to make unable or unfit; weaken or destroy the capability of; incapacitate: The detective successfully disabled the bomb.

to impair or injure (a person or animal) physically or mentally: The accident disabled him for life.

to make legally incapable; disqualify: Minors are legally disabled from entering into a contract.

Digital Technology. to make (a device, system, or feature) unable to function; turn off: Some of the car’s advanced safety features can be disabled.

OTHER WORDS FOR disable

1 enfeeble, paralyze.

See synonyms for disable on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of disable

First recorded in 1475–85; dis-¹ + able

OTHER WORDS FROM disable

dis·a·ble·ment, noundis·a·bler, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use disable in a sentence

Facebook also disabled key parts of its service, such as the forwarding of messages, group recommendations and political ads, ahead of the election.
‘Stop the Steal’ supporters, restrained by Facebook, turn to Parler to peddle false election claims|Elizabeth Dwoskin, Rachel Lerman|November 10, 2020|Washington Post
In lieu of disabling the cameras, the vendor responsible for them at the time instead simply cut off the city's network access to the devices.
San Diego’s spying streetlights stuck switched “on,” despite directive|Kate Cox|November 6, 2020|Ars Technica
They did not receive an explanation for the decision to disable their page.
Transgender activist once again banned from Facebook page|Kaela Roeder|October 30, 2020|Washington Blade
My objective is to go in there with the best intentions of my life and disable my opponent, and that’s just what it is.
Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. are both in their 50s. They will be fighting for a WBC belt in a month.|Gene Wang|October 29, 2020|Washington Post

Although it increases security, it disables a number of key Zoom features.
How to turn on Zoom’s new end-to-end encryption—and why you may not want to|dzanemorris|October 26, 2020|Fortune
Pathology shows us how every physical disablement of the brain is accompanied by mental processes.
Psychotherapy|Hugo Mnsterberg
In several of the boats there was not a single man who escaped either death or disablement.
The Heroic Record of the British Navy|Archibald Hurd
Today it is easy to find a widow who has at great cost to herself in pain, danger, and disablement, borne six or eight children.
A Treatise on Parents and Children|George Bernard Shaw
Many a poor fellow owed his death or disablement to this useless exposure.
The Life of Isaac Ingalls Stevens, Volume II (of 2)|Hazard Stevens
It is well known that women in an uncivilized state suffer very little pain or disablement in bringing forth children.
The Ladies Book of Useful Information|Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for disable

disable

/ (dɪsˈeɪbəl) /

verb (tr)

to make ineffective, unfit, or incapable, as by crippling

to make or pronounce legally incapable

to switch off (an electronic device)

Derived forms of disable

disablement, noun

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

disable

OTHER WORDS FOR disable

Origin of disable

OTHER WORDS FROM disable

Words related to disable

How to use disable in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for disable

Derived forms of disable