incapacity
Americannoun
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lack of ability, qualification, or strength; incapability.
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Law. lack of the legal power to act in a specified way or ways.
noun
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lack of power, strength, or capacity; inability
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law
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legal disqualification or ineligibility
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a circumstance causing this
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Etymology
Origin of incapacity
From the Late Latin word incapācitās, dating back to 1605–15. See in- 3, capacity
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.
He said that "unfortunately, we are seeing a parallel collapse of the infrastructure, and also the incapacity of the state to provide timely rescue support for the people in the devastated areas".
From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026
Trusts are designed to manage assets, distribute income, prevent beneficiaries from getting too much money at one time, and, in many cases, avoid probate and help plan for a beneficiary’s incapacity.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 25, 2026
But the line between incapacity and hardship is not always clear, especially when poverty and homelessness are involved.
From Slate • Mar. 12, 2026
When clinicians blur the line between suffering and incapacity, accommodation loses its meaning, standards lose force, and those with genuine impairments are met with suspicion.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
In his absolute selfishness, his incapacity to give anything away, no matter what, he is a successful committee.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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.
