Disability Definition & Meaning

American

British

Sensitive Note

Usage

Related Words

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms disability American [dis-uh-bil-i-tee] / ˌdɪs əˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun

plural

disabilities

1. lack of adequate power, strength, or physical or mental ability; incapacity.

   Synonyms: deficit, impairment Antonyms: capacity, ability

2. a physical or mental impairment, especially one that hinders or prevents a person from performing tasks of daily living, carrying out work or household responsibilities, or engaging in leisure and social activities.

3. anything that disables or puts one at a disadvantage.

   His mere six-foot height will be a disability in professional basketball.

4. the state or condition of being disabled.

5. legal incapacity; legal disqualification.

6. disability insurance.

disability British / ˌdɪsəˈbɪlɪtɪ /

noun

1. the condition of being unable to perform a task or function because of a physical or mental impairment

2. something that disables; handicap

3. lack of necessary intelligence, strength, etc

4. an incapacity in the eyes of the law to enter into certain transactions

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Sensitive Note

Disability is a general term for one or more functional limitations in carrying out major life activities. A disability may be physical, mental, or sensory. The language used to describe disabilities and people with disabilities has changed over time, and older words and phrases like cripple, handicapped, or special needs are no longer recommended and often cause offense. In many cases there is no reason to mention someone’s disability at all; however, when you do introduce disability as a part of an individual’s whole self, it is usually preferable to be specific: “a woman with cerebral palsy” rather than generically “a woman with a disability.” Sometimes the important information is a person’s membership in the disability community, in which case the umbrella term disability is appropriate: “employer accommodation for an employee with a disability.” Some people, especially in the disability rights community, prefer to write disability as dis/ability, (dis)ability, or disAbility in an effort to emphasize ability and minimize ableism. In the same spirit, some also use the words able and ability to mean disabled or disability, as in: “Able team members are asked to share accessibility concerns with their team leader” or “The city council will defer to the recommendations of the ability committee.” This use of able and ability is criticized by some for being unclear or overly euphemistic and is not preferred over the straightforward terms disabled and disability.

Usage

Many deaf and hard of hearing people object to the use of the phrase hearing disability

Related Words

Disability, inability imply a lack of power or ability. A disability is a functional limitation, physical or other: excused because of a physical disability; a temporary disability. Inability is a lack of ability, usually because of an inherent lack of talent, power, etc.: inability to talk; inability to do well in higher mathematics.

Etymology

Origin of disability

First recorded in 1570–80; dis- 1 + ability

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Friends of Dolphin said the funding will help it continue offering free, accessible boat trips for people with disabilities around Poole Harbour.

From BBC

In addition, “lower-income respondents and respondents with disabilities are more likely to go without care and incur debt due to health care costs,” the researchers said.

From MarketWatch

County High School for the Arts and Boys & Girls Club of Metro Los Angeles, emphasizing outreach to youth and people with disabilities.

From Los Angeles Times

The percentage of actors with known disabilities in top films rose slightly among film leads and in total actors.

From Los Angeles Times

Related: ‘I didn’t ask a man to rear-end my car’: Social Security is replacing my disability benefits.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• cognitive impairment
• debilitation
• impairment
• incapacitation
• intellectual disability
• limitation
• restriction

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.