incapacitated

adjective

in·​ca·​pac·​i·​tat·​ed ˌin-kə-ˈpa-sə-ˌtā-təd 

: deprived of capacity or natural power : made incapable of or unfit for normal functioning

… can care for cats while the owners are away or are temporarily incapacitated and unable to care for their pets.

—Karen Commings

… when an incapacitated patient hasn't left a living will or designated someone to make his or her medical decisions, families agree on what to do anyway in about two-thirds of the cases …

—Jeff Chu et al.

Eventually, he [Washington Roebling] became bedridden, in a room that overlooked the bridge under construction, with Emily effectively serving as assistant engineer and intermediary between the incapacitated chief engineer and his lieutenants on the construction site.

—Henry Petroski

Examples of incapacitated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The move came after state public health inspectors fined Golden Legacy for handcuffing an incapacitated patient’s ankle to the bed in violation of state and federal laws. —Don Thompson, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2025

The 25th Amendment also has a controversial provision that allows the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet, or the majority of another body that Congress designated by law, to initiate the transfer of powers from an incapacitated president to the vice president. —Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025

However, there is no formal provision in canon law for an incapacitated pope, and there are no current signs that Francis is unable to govern. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025

But there is no precedent for forcibly removing an incapacitated member who had taken the oath of office that Congress. —Emily Brooks, The Hill, 27 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1769, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for incapacitated

• ameliorated
• decontaminated
• deoxygenated
• deteriorated
• differentiated
• disarticulated
• excommunicated
• individuated
• misappropriated
• monounsaturated
• multinucleated
• nonaffiliated