able-bodied

adjective

able-bod·​ied ˌā-bəl-ˈbä-dēd How to pronounce able-bodied (audio)
: having a sound strong body

Examples of able-bodied in a Sentence

every able-bodied young man in the village had been sent off to fight in the war
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Scott argues able-bodied low-income adults are drawing far too much of Medicaid spending in states that expanded the program, such as California and New York. Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 20 June 2025 American patriarchy is a system that has long defined national identity by the dominance of white, cisgender, straight, able-bodied men. Nuri Kino, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025 Under the House bill, as many as 11 million lower-income Americans could lose Medicaid health insurance over the next decade, due to changes such as a work requirement for able-bodied adults without dependents. Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 18 June 2025 And being front of the camera, say as an actor or a model, was a career once mostly closed for those who didn't appear perfectly able-bodied. Alan Schwarz, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for able-bodied

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of able-bodied was in 1600

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Cite this Entry

“Able-bodied.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/able-bodied. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

able-bodied

adjective
able-bod·​ied
ˌā-bəl-ˈbäd-ēd
: having a healthy strong body : physically fit

More from Merriam-Webster on able-bodied

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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