incapacitate
verb
in·ca·pac·i·tate
ˌin-kə-ˈpa-sə-ˌtāt 
incapacitated; incapacitating
1
: to deprive of capacity or natural power : disable
an injury that incapacitated her
learned how to incapacitate an attacker
2
: to make legally incapable or ineligible
Infancy does not incapacitate the infant from bringing the action …—
Henry v. City of New York, 724 N.E.2d 372 (1999)
Henry v. City of New York, 724 N.E.2d 372 (1999)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
He is accused of slipping incapacitating drugs into victims’ food or drinks before assaulting them between 2021 and 2024.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
In still other situations, lapses in common knowledge can incapacitate people who really, really need to work together.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
One caller said a delta-8 gummy incapacitated their adult son for several hours.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Lorenzo confronts and incapacitates Pepe, Sonia’s main ally, before facing Sonia herself.
—Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 24 Sep. 2025
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Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
In still other situations, lapses in common knowledge can incapacitate people who really, really need to work together.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
One caller said a delta-8 gummy incapacitated their adult son for several hours.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Lorenzo confronts and incapacitates Pepe, Sonia’s main ally, before facing Sonia herself.
—Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incapacitate
Cite this Entry
“Incapacitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incapacitate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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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