disable
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to make unable or unfit; weaken or destroy the capability of; incapacitate.
The detective successfully disabled the bomb.
-
to impair or injure (a person or animal) physically or mentally.
The accident disabled him for life.
-
to make legally incapable; disqualify.
Minors are legally disabled from entering into a contract.
-
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.
verb
-
to make ineffective, unfit, or incapable, as by crippling
-
to make or pronounce legally incapable
-
to switch off (an electronic device)
Other Word Forms
- disablement noun
- disabler noun
Etymology
Origin of disable
Explanation
When an injury disables someone, it leaves the person seriously hurt, probably for the rest of their life. If a car accident disables you, you are permanently limited in some physical way. Illness, as well as injury, can disable people: for example, diabetes disables some sufferers by leaving them blind or weakening their hearts. A completely different way to disable is to make something unusable or unable to work in a certain way. if you disable your smoke detector while you cook nachos in your smoky oven, it won't work until you reconnect the batteries.
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.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions provides technologies that can disable drones with microwaves.
From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026
On Samsung devices, you can tap to disable motion photos from the top of the camera app.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026
According to prosecutors, on Saturday evening four soldiers housed at Percy Hospital had begun playing a game known within the military that involves attempting to disarm a colleague and disable their weapon.
From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026
By targeting sperm metabolism with an inhibitor based, nonhormonal approach, it may be possible to temporarily disable sperm function when desired while minimizing unwanted effects.
From Science Daily • Feb. 14, 2026
‘I have to disable the onagers,’ Nico said.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
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.
