Standard Lemma guide

incapacitate

verb · 5 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌɪn.kəˈpæ.sɪ.teɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 N K AH0 P AE1 S IH0 T EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To make someone or something incapable of doing something; to disable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The police officer was incapacitated by a blow to the head.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: prostrate

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To make someone or something incapable of doing something; to disable.

To imprison a potential offender and thereby prevent them from offending.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: government, law-enforcement

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: prostrate

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To make someone ineligible; to disqualify.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

injure permanently

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He was disabled in a car accident

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disable, invalid, handicap

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: injure, wound

Narrower terms: hock

5

verb

Meaning 5

make unable to perform a certain action

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • disable this command on your computer

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disable, disenable

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

Narrower terms: lay up, nobble, pinion, restrain, confine, hold

History

Etymology

Mid-17th century, from incapacity + -ate (verb-forming suffix). Compare French incapaciter.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Cantonese: 令癱瘓 /令瘫痪 (ling6 taan2 wun6) — to put out of action, to render ineffective
  • Italian: impossibilitare — to put out of action, to render ineffective
  • Māori: whakakaurapa — to put out of action, to render ineffective
  • Polish: czynić niesprawnym — to put out of action, to render ineffective
  • Polish: uczynić niesprawnym — to put out of action, to render ineffective
  • Serbo-Croatian: онеспособити — to put out of action, to render ineffective
  • Czech: zbavit svéprávnosti — to deprive of one's legal capacity
  • Italian: inibire — to deprive of one's legal capacity
  • Polish: ubezwłasnowolniać — to deprive of one's legal capacity
  • Polish: ubezwłasnowolnić — to deprive of one's legal capacity