different between disable vs disability

English

Etymology

dis- +? able

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): [d?s?e?b??]
• Rhymes: -e?b?l

Verb

disable (third-person singular simple present disables, present participle disabling, simple past and past participle disabled)

1. (transitive) To render unable; to take away an ability of, as by crippling.
2. (chiefly of a person) To impair the physical or mental abilities of; to cause a serious, permanent injury.

   Falling off the horse disabled him.

3. (chiefly electronics, computing) To deactivate, to make inoperational (especially of a function of an electronic or mechanical device).

   The pilot had to disable the autopilot of his airplane.

Synonyms

• unable (non-standard), see also Thesaurus:disable
• deactivate

Antonyms

• enable

Derived terms

• disablement

Translations

Adjective

disable (comparative more disable, superlative most disable)

1. (obsolete) Lacking ability; unable.

   • Our disable and unactive force.

Anagrams

• baldies, bidales, diables, labside

Scots

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?d?sebl/, /?d??ebl/

Verb

disable (third-person singular present disables, present participle disablein, past disablet, past participle disablet)

1. disable, disqualify

English

Etymology

Circa 1570 disable +? -ity.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d?s??b?l?ti/

Noun

disability (usually uncountable, plural disabilities)

1. State of being disabled; deprivation or want of ability; absence of competent physical, intellectual, or moral power, means, fitness, and the like.
   • 1834-1874, George Bancroft, History of the United States, from the Discovery of the American Continent.

     Chatham refused to see him, pleading his disability.

2. A mental condition causing a difficulty with an intellectual task.

3. (disability theory) An inability imposed on a person by society's failure to accommodate their physical or mental differences from others, as opposed to impairment.

   Synonym: handicap

4. Want of legal qualification to do a thing; legal incapacity or incompetency.
5. (uncountable, informal) Regular payments received by a disabled person, usually from the state

Usage notes

• Disability and inability: Inability is an inherent want of power to perform the thing in question; disability arises from some deprivation or loss of the needed competency. One who becomes deranged is under a disability of holding his estate; and one who is made a judge, of deciding in his own case. A man may decline an office on account of his inability to discharge its duties; he may refuse to accept a trust or employment on account of some disability prevents him from entering into such engagements.

Synonyms

• disqualification
• impotence
• inability
• incapacity
• incompetency
• incompetence
• weakness

Antonyms

• ability
• capacity
• competence
• competency
• potence
• potential
• qualification
• strength

Related terms

• disable
• disabled
• disablism

Translations