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disabled

UK[dɪsˈɛɪ̯bəɫd]
adjectiveB22 meaningsCommon in everyday speech and writing · #4,462 of 15,258leans written

Disabled describes a person with a condition that limits movement, the senses or daily activity. A fact about circumstances, not a judgement.

The language here matters and has changed within living memory. Disabled people is the preferred phrase in Britain, on the argument that people are disabled by barriers in the world rather than by their bodies, while people with disabilities is preferred in much of America. Handicapped is now avoided. There is a separate mechanical sense, since a disabled vehicle is one that cannot move, and a feature can be disabled in software.

Definitions of disabled

  1. 1adjectivedisabledHaving a physical or mental condition that limits activity.B2

    “The building has step-free access for disabled visitors.”

  2. 2adjectivemachineOf a machine or feature, made unable to work.B2

    “The alarm had been disabled.”

Where it comes from

From disable + -ed.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in A Man Called Ove

First appears in chapter 23 of A Man Called Ove.

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Related words

  • disable
  • disability