disabled

1 of 2

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

disabled

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of disable

Synonyms of disabled

Adjective

• impaired
• exceptional

Examples of disabled in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

Original moldings, door knobs, and wood paneling have been preserved, but spaces have been shaped for contemporary use including made disabled-accessible. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026

The law was originally meant to protect police and other first responders, but was expanded to include civilian disabled vehicles in 2025. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026

Programs once reserved for the truly poor and disabled have steadily broadened their qualification criteria. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2026

There was Christopher Alvarez, a disabled journalist, being dragged into conspiracy theories. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from past participle of disable

First Known Use

Adjective

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