incapacitate
verb
in·ca·pac·i·tate
ˌin-kə-ˈpa-sə-ˌtāt 
incapacitated; incapacitating
Synonyms
Examples of incapacitate in a Sentence
The class teaches you how to incapacitate an attacker.
The stroke left her completely incapacitated.
He was incapacitated by the pain.
a computer system incapacitated by software problems
Recent Examples on the Web
While Reagan was incapacitated in surgery, there was a real question of who was running the country — and who controlled the nuclear arsenal at a time when Cold War tensions were at a near all-time high, in part because Reagan had entered office taking a tougher line on Moscow.
—
Nicole Narea, Vox, 14 July 2024
The source of incapacitating wedding day jitters is now a gay wedding.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2024
Biden wins a second term—but decides to step down or becomes otherwise incapacitated before Inauguration Day
If such a scenario unfolds before the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, the Vice President-elect would become President, according to the 20th Amendment.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 28 June 2024
Angry crowds that blamed police for the government’s violent crackdown on protesters surrounded a number of police stations in Dhaka, the capital, throwing stones and setting fires in a campaign police say has left them incapacitated.
—Mehedi Hasan Marof, NBC News, 6 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for incapacitate 
Nicole Narea, Vox, 14 July 2024
The source of incapacitating wedding day jitters is now a gay wedding.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2024
Biden wins a second term—but decides to step down or becomes otherwise incapacitated before Inauguration Day
If such a scenario unfolds before the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, the Vice President-elect would become President, according to the 20th Amendment.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 28 June 2024
Angry crowds that blamed police for the government’s violent crackdown on protesters surrounded a number of police stations in Dhaka, the capital, throwing stones and setting fires in a campaign police say has left them incapacitated.
—Mehedi Hasan Marof, NBC News, 6 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for incapacitate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incapacitate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near incapacitate
Cite this Entry
“Incapacitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incapacitate. Accessed 19 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
incapacitate
verb
in·ca·pac·i·tate
ˌin-kə-ˈpas-ə-ˌtāt
incapacitated; incapacitating
: to make incapable : disable
Legal Definition
incapacitate
transitive verb
in·ca·pac·i·tate
ˌin-kə-ˈpa-sə-ˌtāt
incapacitated; incapacitating
1
: to make legally incapable or ineligible
mental illness alone will not incapacitate a person from making a valid contract—Landmark Med. Ctr. v. Gauthier, 635 A.2d 1145 (1994)
Landmark Med. Ctr. v. Gauthier, 635 A.2d 1145 (1994)2
: to deprive of capacity or natural power
an injury that incapacitates the employee
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