Standard Lemma guide

disabled

adj · noun · verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: [dɪsˈɛɪ̯bəɫd]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S EY1 B AH0 L D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Made incapable of use or action.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Having a disability.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Legally disqualified.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

One who is disabled. (often used collectively as the disabled, but sometimes also singular)

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: nonstandard

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

simple past and past participle of disable

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, participle, past

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

incapable of functioning as a consequence of injury or illness

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: handicapped

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

people collectively who are crippled or otherwise physically handicapped

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • technology to help the elderly and the disabled

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: handicapped

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: people

Narrower terms: the halt

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh1 Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dis- Old French des-bor. ▲ Latin dis-bor. Middle English dis- English dis- Proto-Indo-European *gheh1bh- Proto-Indo-European *-éh1ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh1yeti Proto-Indo-European *ghh1bhéh1yeti Proto-Italic *haβēō Latin habeō Proto-Indo-European *-elis Proto-Italic *-elis Latin -ilis Latin habilis Old French ablebor. Middle English able English able English disable English -ed English disabled From disable + -ed.

Across languages

Translations

153 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: изключен (izključen) — made incapable of use or action
  • Catalan: invàlid — made incapable of use or action
  • Danish: ubrugelig — made incapable of use or action
  • Danish: ukampdygtig — made incapable of use or action
  • Dutch: onklaar — made incapable of use or action
  • Dutch: uitgeschakeld — made incapable of use or action
  • Finnish: toimintakyvytön — made incapable of use or action
  • Finnish: käyttökelvoton — made incapable of use or action
  • German: gesperrt — made incapable of use or action
  • German: deaktiviert — made incapable of use or action
  • Hungarian: üzemképtelen — made incapable of use or action
  • Irish: díchumasaithe — made incapable of use or action
  • Italian: disabilitato — made incapable of use or action
  • Norwegian: bevegelseshemmet — made incapable of use or action
  • Polish: wyłączony — made incapable of use or action
  • Polish: zdezaktywowany — made incapable of use or action
  • Portuguese: desativado — made incapable of use or action
  • Portuguese: desabilitado — made incapable of use or action
  • Romanian: dezactivat — made incapable of use or action
  • Russian: отклю́ченный (otkljúčennyj) — made incapable of use or action
  • Russian: деактиви́рованный (deaktivírovannyj) — made incapable of use or action
  • Swedish: deaktiverad — made incapable of use or action
  • Swedish: avaktiverad — made incapable of use or action
  • Swedish: avstängd — made incapable of use or action
  • Arabic: مُعَوَّق (muʕawwaq) — having a disability
  • Armenian: հաշմանդամ (hašmandam) — having a disability
  • Bulgarian: недъгав (nedǎgav) — having a disability
  • Bulgarian: инвалиден (invaliden) — having a disability
  • Burmese: ဒုက္ခိတ (dukhki.ta.) — having a disability
  • Catalan: minusvàlid — having a disability
  • Catalan: discapacitat — having a disability
  • Chinese Mandarin: 殘疾的 /残疾的 (cánjí de) — having a disability
  • Czech: postižený — having a disability
  • Czech: invalidní — having a disability
  • Danish: handicappet — having a disability
  • Dutch: gehandicapt — having a disability
  • Dutch: invalide — having a disability
  • Dutch: mindervalide — having a disability
  • Esperanto: invalida — having a disability
  • Esperanto: labornekapabla — having a disability
  • Esperanto: labormaltaŭga — having a disability
  • Esperanto: malkapabla — having a disability
  • Esperanto: handikapita — having a disability
  • Finnish: vammainen — having a disability
  • Finnish: invalidi — having a disability
  • Finnish: toimintarajoitteinen — having a disability
  • French: handicapé — having a disability
  • French: handicapée — having a disability
  • French: infirme — having a disability
  • French: invalide — having a disability
  • Georgian: ინვალიდი (invalidi) — having a disability
  • Georgian: შეზღუდული შესაძლებლობების მქონე პირი (šezɣuduli šesaʒleblobebis mkone ṗiri) — having a disability
  • German: behindert — having a disability
  • Greek: ανάπηρος (anápiros) — having a disability
  • Hebrew: נָכֶה (naché) — having a disability
  • Hebrew: מנוטרל (menutrál) — having a disability
  • Hindi: विकलांग (viklāṅg) — having a disability
  • Hindi: अपाहिज (apāhij) — having a disability
  • Hungarian: mozgáskorlátozott — having a disability
  • Hungarian: mozgássérült — having a disability
  • Hungarian: fogyatékkal élő — having a disability
  • Hungarian: rokkant — having a disability
  • Hungarian: fogyatékos — having a disability
  • Icelandic: fatlaður — having a disability
  • Interlingua: dishabile — having a disability
  • Irish: faoi mhíchumas — having a disability
  • Italian: disabile — having a disability
  • Kazakh: мүгедек (mügedek) — having a disability
  • Latin: debilis — having a disability
  • Macedonian: инвали́д (invalíd) — having a disability
  • Macedonian: хендикепирано лице — having a disability
  • Māori: hauā — having a disability
  • Norwegian: bevegelseshemmet — having a disability
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ufør — having a disability
  • Norwegian Bokmål: funksjonshemmet — having a disability
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: ufør — having a disability
  • Persian: معلول (ma'lul) — having a disability
  • Polish: niepełnosprawny — having a disability
  • Portuguese: deficiente — having a disability
  • Portuguese: inválido — having a disability
  • Russian: инвали́д (invalíd) — having a disability
  • Russian: нетрудоспосо́бный (netrudosposóbnyj) — having a disability
  • Russian: неработоспосо́бный (nerabotosposóbnyj) — having a disability
  • Spanish: discapacitado — having a disability
  • Spanish: minusválido — having a disability
  • Swedish: funktionshindrad — having a disability
  • Swedish: handikappad — having a disability
  • Swedish: invalid — having a disability
  • Thai: พิการ (pí-gaan) — having a disability
  • Turkish: çolak — having a disability
  • Turkish: sakat — having a disability
  • Ukrainian: неповноспра́вний (nepovnosprávnyj) — having a disability
  • Urdu: مَعْذُور (maʻẕūr) — having a disability
  • Bulgarian: инвалиден (invaliden) — for the use of people with physical disabilities
  • Catalan: minusvàlid — for the use of people with physical disabilities
  • Danish: handicap- — for the use of people with physical disabilities
  • Dutch: gehandicapten- — for the use of people with physical disabilities
  • Finnish: vammaisten — for the use of people with physical disabilities
  • Finnish: vammais- — for the use of people with physical disabilities
  • German: behinderten- — for the use of people with physical disabilities
  • Hungarian: akadálymentes — for the use of people with physical disabilities
  • Hungarian: mozgássérült- — for the use of people with physical disabilities
  • Icelandic: fötlunar- — for the use of people with physical disabilities
  • Icelandic: örorku- — for the use of people with physical disabilities
  • Icelandic: fyrir fatlaða — for the use of people with physical disabilities
  • Irish: inrochtana — for the use of people with physical disabilities
  • Italian: per i disabili — for the use of people with physical disabilities
  • Russian: инвали́дный (invalídnyj) — for the use of people with physical disabilities
  • Spanish: para discapacitados — for the use of people with physical disabilities
  • Ukrainian: інвалі́дний (invalídnyj) — for the use of people with physical disabilities
  • Urdu: مَعْذُور (maʻẕūr) — for the use of people with physical disabilities
  • Finnish: pätemätön — legally disqualified
  • Western Apache: baa dahgoz’áni — disabled one
  • Belarusian: інвалі́д (invalíd) — disabled one
  • Belarusian: інвалі́дка (invalídka) — disabled one
  • Bulgarian: инвали́д (invalíd) — disabled one
  • Chinese Mandarin: 傷殘人 /伤残人 (shāngcánrén) — disabled one
  • Chinese Mandarin: 殘疾人士 /残疾人士 — disabled one
  • Danish: handicappet — disabled one
  • Dutch: persoon met een beperking (d) — disabled one
  • Dutch: gehandicapte — disabled one
  • Finnish: invalidi — disabled one
  • Finnish: vammainen — disabled one
  • German: Mensch mit Behinderung — disabled one
  • German: der/die Behinderte — disabled one
  • Hindi: अपाहज (apāhaj) — disabled one
  • Icelandic: öryrki — disabled one
  • Irish: duine faoi mhíchumas — disabled one
  • Italian: disabile — disabled one
  • Japanese: 障害者 (shōgaisha) — disabled one
  • Japanese: 身障者 (shinshōsha) — disabled one
  • Korean: 장애인 (jang'aein) — disabled one
  • Polish: inwalida — disabled one
  • Polish: inwalidka — disabled one
  • Russian: инвали́д (invalíd) — disabled one
  • Russian: инвали́дка (invalídka) — disabled one
  • Spanish: minusválido — disabled one
  • Spanish: discapacitado — disabled one
  • Ukrainian: інвалі́д (invalíd) — disabled one
  • Ukrainian: інвалі́дка (invalídka) — disabled one
  • Yiddish: אינוואַליד (invalid) — disabled one
  • Danish: handicappede — the disabled collectively
  • Dutch: invaliden — the disabled collectively
  • Dutch: gehandicapten — the disabled collectively
  • Finnish: invalidit — the disabled collectively
  • Finnish: vammaiset — the disabled collectively
  • Italian: disabili — the disabled collectively
  • Japanese: 障害者 (shōgaisha) — the disabled collectively
  • Korean: 장애인 (jang'aein) — the disabled collectively
  • Norwegian Bokmål: (de) uføre — the disabled collectively
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: (dei) uføre — the disabled collectively
  • Russian: инвали́ды (invalídy) — the disabled collectively
  • Somali: naafo — the disabled collectively
Real reading context

disabled in complete knowledge articles