disabled

[dis-ey-buh ld]

adjective

physically or mentally impaired, injured, or incapacitated.

noun

(used with a plural verb) physically or mentally impaired persons (usually preceded by the): Ramps have been installed at the entrances to accommodate the disabled.

Origin of disabled

First recorded in 1625–35; disable + -ed²

Related formsnon·dis·a·bled, noun, adjectivesem·i·dis·a·bled, adjectiveun·dis·a·bled, adjective

Usage note

See cripple.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for nondisabled

disabled

adjective

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
(as collective noun; preceded by the)the disabled

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

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

Word Origin and History for nondisabled

disabled

adj.

"incapacitated," 1630s, past participle adjective from disable. Earlier it meant "legally disqualified" (mid-15c.).

nondisabled in Medicine

disabled

[dĭs-ā′bəld]

adj.

Impaired, as in physical functioning.

n.

Physically impaired people considered as a group. Often used with the.