disable

[ dis-ey-buhl ]
See synonyms for: disabledisableddisablesdisabling on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),dis·a·bled, dis·a·bling.
  1. to make unable or unfit; weaken or destroy the capability of; incapacitate: The detective successfully disabled the bomb.

  2. to impair or injure (a person or animal) physically or mentally: The accident disabled him for life.

  1. to make legally incapable; disqualify: Minors are legally disabled from entering into a contract.

  2. Digital Technology. to make (a device, system, or feature) unable to function; turn off: Some of the car’s advanced safety features can be disabled.

Origin of disable

1
First recorded in 1475–85; dis-1 + able

Other words for disable

Other words from disable

  • dis·a·ble·ment, noun
  • dis·a·bler, noun

Words Nearby disable

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use disable in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for disable

disable

/ (dɪsˈeɪbəl) /


verb(tr)
  1. to make ineffective, unfit, or incapable, as by crippling

  2. to make or pronounce legally incapable

  1. to switch off (an electronic device)

Derived forms of disable

  • disablement, noun

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