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
The biggest development was the discovery of an audio signal Regan could use to incapacitate the monsters.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
The vessel is decked out with everything from a hyper-precise sonar system that continuously scans the seabed to a Deadman’s Switch that forces automatic ascent if the pilot is incapacitated.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 16 Mar. 2026
Fortunately, Future Nick has also come armed with a plan to stop it, the first step of which is to incapacitate Present Nick (Vaughn plays both).
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 15 Mar. 2026
The format in which the Iranian regime released his statement did little to quell rumors that he could actually have been incapacitated, possibly even left in a coma, in the same strike that killed his father and mother.
—Haley Ott, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incapacitate
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Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
The vessel is decked out with everything from a hyper-precise sonar system that continuously scans the seabed to a Deadman’s Switch that forces automatic ascent if the pilot is incapacitated.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 16 Mar. 2026
Fortunately, Future Nick has also come armed with a plan to stop it, the first step of which is to incapacitate Present Nick (Vaughn plays both).
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 15 Mar. 2026
The format in which the Iranian regime released his statement did little to quell rumors that he could actually have been incapacitated, possibly even left in a coma, in the same strike that killed his father and mother.
—Haley Ott, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incapacitate
Cite this Entry
“Incapacitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incapacitate. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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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