disabled

adjective

dis·​abled dis-ˈā-bəld 

diz-ˈā-

1

a

: impaired or limited by a physical, mental, cognitive, or developmental condition : affected by disability

Decades of government policy and a Supreme Court decision … have established that public services for all disabled people must be provided in the least restrictive and most integrated environment possible.

—Sallie Tisdale

For disabled travelers—or anyone nursing an injury—successful trips require planning. … Rugged or remote areas may require some give and take on your part, including physical assistance or workarounds.

—Linda Burbank

… 4,000 disabled athletes from 125 nations competing in 18 sports.

—John Shaw

b

: incapacitated by illness or injury

… 17.4% of all match-ending injuries, were attributable to OT (orthopedic trauma). Two such stoppages involved multiple roundhouse kicks directed at the lateral aspect of the knee. The disabled competitors were unable to continue because of marked pain with weight bearing.

—George J. Buse and Robert M. Wood

2

of a device or mechanism : rendered inoperative (as by being damaged or deliberately altered)

a disabled alarm

They would have pulled out but they were waiting on the Iraqi police to finish their report and there was the issue of the disabled fuel truck …

—David Abrams

Synonyms

• impaired
• exceptional

Examples of disabled in a Sentence

The organization is working to protect the rights of disabled veterans.

the disabled man was unable to climb the stairs without help

Recent Examples on the Web

Weekly Newsletter Audiences were asked to consider that the display of human difference was dehumanizing or even exploitative but also to understand that the sideshow represented a locus of community and a way for disabled performers to make an independent living. —JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025

And Marissa Bode, who plays Elphaba’s disabled sister Nessarose, confirms her character’s origin story will differ from the stage version. —Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025

In Ohio, 62% of households receiving SNAP benefits had children and 43% included older or disabled members in 2024. —Mariyam Muhammad, Cincinnati Enquirer, 29 Oct. 2025

Caregivers in crisis Nearly a quarter of Americans are caregivers, with about 63 million adults struggling to care for sick or disabled loved ones. —Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of disable

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing disabled

• disabled list
• intellectually disabled
• the disabled
• the intellectually disabled

Rhymes for disabled

• enabled
• mislabeled
• unlabeled
• unlabelled
• abled
• cabled
• fabled
• gabled
• labeled
• labelled
• stabled
• tabled

Kids Definition

disabled

adjective

: deprived of the power to perform one or more tasks (as climbing stairs or lifting heavy items) by illness or injury

also : functioning physically or mentally below normal levels in a way that limits or interferes with one's ability to receive an education or perform a job

Medical Definition

disabled

adjective

dis·​abled

1

: impaired or limited by a physical, mental, cognitive, or developmental condition : affected by disability

2

: incapacitated by illness, injury, or wounds

Legal Definition

disabled

adjective

: having a disability