disable
verb
dis·able
dis-ˈā-bəl 
diz-ˈā-
disabled; disabling
dis-ˈā-b(ə-)liŋ
diz-ˈā-
1
a
: to make ineffective or inoperative
disable a bomb
For victims of smartphone theft, the ultimate justice is hitting a button that disables the device, turning it into a worthless rectangular paperweight.—
Heather Kelley
Heather Kelley… gene editing makes it possible to change or disable a single gene without changing the "meaning" of the rest of the genome.—Kat McGowan
Kat McGowan
b
: to impair physically or mentally : to cause disability in
Automobile accidents kill nearly 50,000 people each year. … Accidents maim or disable another 80,000.—Matt Clark and Mary Hager
Matt Clark and Mary HagerDiet-related Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease disable and kill people …—Mark Bittman
Mark Bittman2
: to deprive of legal right, qualification, or capacity
… the injured party was released from the bonds of marriage; but the offender, during life, or a term of years, was disabled from the repetition of nuptials.—Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon
disablement
dis-ˈā-bəl-mənt
noun
diz-ˈā-
physical disablement
Nor does it tackle the disablement of any North Korean program to enrich uranium.
—Thomas Omestad
Thomas Omestad
disabling
adjective
Bipolar disorder is one of the world's 10 most disabling conditions, taking away years of healthy functioning from individuals who have the illness.
—David J. Kupfer
David J. Kupfer
This is a rare, disabling pain disorder in which ordinary sensation such as touch, warmth and coolness are perceived as painful and minor knocks are agonizing.
—Maia Szalavitz
Maia Szalavitz
Examples of disable in a Sentence
a promising athlete who was severely disabled in a plane crash
disabled the controls for unauthorized users
Recent Examples on the Web
He was injured north of Baghdad, Iraq, in 2005 when his vehicle was disabled by mortar attacks.
—Alexandra Hardle, The Arizona Republic, 6 Apr. 2024
Federal agents disabled his security system and seized the hard drive, sources told The Times.
—Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
During the two-day-long court proceedings, homicide detective Harry Singleton testified that Brown was disabled, per The Washington Post.
—Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024
Good condition means the device turns on and the screen works normally, the charging port works and the battery holds a charge, there are no cracks in the front, back, screen or camera lenses, activation locks are disabled, accounts are removed and the phone is factory reset.
—David Phelan, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Jamming devices have many potential uses, from confusing an unwanted drone to disrupting a Wi-Fi network to disabling a doorbell camera.
—David Ingram, NBC News, 20 Mar. 2024
As of March 24, comments on Outdoor Voices’ Instagram are also disabled.
—Jasmine Li, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2024
In May 1981, Creech, then 30, got into a fight with fellow maximum security prisoner David D. Jensen, 23, who was partially disabled.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 26 Mar. 2024
More than 20 Russian naval vessels have now been disabled or destroyed, a third of the entire fleet.
—Andrew Carey, Maria Kostenko and Josh Pennington, CNN, 24 Mar. 2024
Alexandra Hardle, The Arizona Republic, 6 Apr. 2024
Federal agents disabled his security system and seized the hard drive, sources told The Times.
—Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
During the two-day-long court proceedings, homicide detective Harry Singleton testified that Brown was disabled, per The Washington Post.
—Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024
Good condition means the device turns on and the screen works normally, the charging port works and the battery holds a charge, there are no cracks in the front, back, screen or camera lenses, activation locks are disabled, accounts are removed and the phone is factory reset.
—David Phelan, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Jamming devices have many potential uses, from confusing an unwanted drone to disrupting a Wi-Fi network to disabling a doorbell camera.
—David Ingram, NBC News, 20 Mar. 2024
As of March 24, comments on Outdoor Voices’ Instagram are also disabled.
—Jasmine Li, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2024
In May 1981, Creech, then 30, got into a fight with fellow maximum security prisoner David D. Jensen, 23, who was partially disabled.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 26 Mar. 2024
More than 20 Russian naval vessels have now been disabled or destroyed, a third of the entire fleet.
—Andrew Carey, Maria Kostenko and Josh Pennington, CNN, 24 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English disablen "to deprive of legal rights" (in past participle disabled), borrowed from Anglo-French desabler, from des- dis- + able able, or from abler "to permit, make able to inherit," derivative of able able
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Time Traveler
The first known use of disable was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near disable
Cite this Entry
“Disable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disable. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
disable
verb
dis·able
dis-ˈā-bəl
disabled; disabling
-b(ə-)liŋ
1
: to disqualify legally
2
: to cause to be unable to do or act
disable a computer key
especially
: to deprive of physical or moral strength
a disabling illness
Medical Definition
disable
transitive verb
dis·able
dis-ˈā-bəl, diz-
disabled; disabling
-b(ə-)liŋ
: to impair physically or mentally : to cause disability in
Automobile accidents kill nearly 50,000 people each year. … Accidents maim or disable another 80,000.—Matt Clark and Mary Hager
Matt Clark and Mary HagerDiet-related Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease disable and kill people …—Mark Bittman
Mark Bittman
Legal Definition
disable
transitive verb
dis·able
disabled; disabling
1
: to deprive of legal right, qualification, or capacity
2
: to make incapable or ineffective
specifically
: to cause to have a disability
disablement
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on disable
Nglish: Translation of disable for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of disable for Arabic Speakers
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