incapacitate

American

[in-kuh-pas-i-teyt] / ˌɪn kəˈpæs ɪˌteɪt /

verb (used with object)

incapacitated, incapacitating

to deprive of ability, qualification, or strength; make incapable or unfit; disable.

Synonyms:

weaken, impair, sideline, handicap
Law. to deprive of the legal power to act in a specified way or ways.

incapacitate British

/ ˌɪnkəˈpæsɪˌteɪt /

verb

to deprive of power, strength, or capacity; disable
to deprive of legal capacity or eligibility

"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

Other Word Forms

incapacitation noun

Etymology

Origin of incapacitate

First recorded in 1650–60; incapacit(y) + -ate ¹

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.

Two Iranian officials privately said Khamenei was injured but denied he was incapacitated.

From The Wall Street Journal

CS spray is a man-made incapacitating gas - exposure to it causes a burning sensation in the eyes and watering.

From BBC

Recent remarks by President Masoud Pezeshkian suggest that armed forces units have effectively been given broad authority to act if senior leadership is incapacitated.

From BBC

Officer 4 said doing so would have been difficult and more likely to put himself and his colleague at risk by failing to incapacitate Bosh.

From BBC

Lastly, don’t neglect basic estate planning: create/update your will, add beneficiaries to your stock/bank accounts and establish powers of attorney and health-care directives should you become incapacitated.

From MarketWatch

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