dis·abled | \ dis-ˈā-bəld 
, diz-ˈā- \
, diz-ˈā- \Definition of disabled
1a : 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
Keep scrolling for more
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 Some elderly and disabled people won’t get a check either, along with high-wage earners.
—
Jessica Menton, USA TODAY, "Here’s who doesn't get the $600 stimulus check," 23 Dec. 2020 Medicare is the federal program for the elderly and disabled.
—
Eric Besson, Arkansas Online, "Firm to pay $6.5M to settle billing fraud case," 23 Oct. 2020 In Alabama, a group of elderly and disabled voters and four advocacy groups filed suit in federal court seeking several accommodations in relation to the pandemic.
—
Jess Bravin, WSJ, "Supreme Court Reinstates Alabama’s Ban on Curbside Voting," 22 Oct. 2020 Nearly a week after mocking Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden as elderly and disabled, President Trump tweeted a reference to Bob Hope, the mid-century comedian who died in 2003 at 100 years old.
—
Washington Post, "Trump takes a break from calling Biden old to reference Bob Hope," 19 Oct. 2020 Indefinitely confined voters, such as the elderly and disabled, can get absentee ballots without having to provide a photo ID to election officials.
—
Patrick Marley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Biden gains 87 votes in Trump's $3 million Wisconsin recount as Dane County wraps up review. President plans lawsuit.," 29 Nov. 2020 The conference meets quarterly to forecast the numbers of people in Medicaid, a program funded jointly by the state and federal governments that provides health care for low-income, elderly and disabled residents.
—
Christine Sexton, orlandosentinel.com, "Medicaid enrollment could rise to 4.6 million in Florida," 20 Nov. 2020 The Social Services Estimating Conference meets quarterly to forecast the numbers of people in Medicaid, a program funded jointly by the state and federal governments that pays the health care costs for poor, elderly and disabled residents.
—
Christine Sexton, sun-sentinel.com, "Medicaid enrollment surging and projected to include 4.6 million Floridians next year," 20 Nov. 2020 Among his philanthropic ventures are the building of a playground at an elementary school for disabled children and water wells in Africa.
—
Joseph Salvador, USA TODAY, "Three things to know about Dustin Poirer, Conor McGregor's UFC 257 opponent," 19 Nov. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'disabled.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on disabled
What made you want to look up disabled? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Naughty or Nice Quiz
- Your mother says that you've been a mammothrept all year. You've been…
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
- Naughty or Nice Quiz
He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...
Take the quiz - Words of the Year Quiz - 2020 Edition
Test your knowledge of the words of the year.
Take the quiz - Spell It
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
Take the quiz - Dictionary Devil
The dictionary has been scrambled—can you put i...
Play the game
Share disabled
Time Traveler for disabled
The first known use of disabled was in 1633
See more words from the same year