incapacitate
verb
in·ca·pac·i·tate
ˌin-kə-ˈpa-sə-ˌtāt 
incapacitated; incapacitating
Synonyms
Examples of incapacitate in a Sentence
The class teaches you how to incapacitate an attacker.
The stroke left her completely incapacitated.
He was incapacitated by the pain.
a computer system incapacitated by software problems
Recent Examples on the Web
The likely approach for implementing Senate Bill 43, the state’s new law that expands involuntary treatment for those incapacitated by substance use, gained some clarity Tuesday.
—
Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2024
Provide reasonable on-going medical or insurance assistance for student-athletes who suffer an incapacitating injury in competition or practice.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024
Criminals incapacitated and robbed over three dozen victims after gaining access to their phones, prosecutors alleged, resulting in the deaths of at least seven people.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 11 Mar. 2024
Shining a laser at an airplane can incapacitate the pilot, leading to injuries and putting passengers at risk.
—Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024
For three weeks, the legislature was effectively incapacitated, at a time when the United States was involved in two overseas wars.
—Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024
After Billionaire Carl Icahn Reveals Nearly 10% Stake Both these compounds have powerful hallucinogenic properties that can incapacitate predators, allowing the toad to escape, relatively unharmed.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024
Experts say this amount will likely financially incapacitate him for the rest of his life.
—Eva Rothenberg, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
Kansas lawmakers are tightening digital security measures after the state’s judicial branch fell victim to a foreign cyberattack last year that left the state’s online court system incapacitated for several months, and studies showed lingering gaps in the state’s cyber security.
—Jenna Barackman, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024
Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2024
Provide reasonable on-going medical or insurance assistance for student-athletes who suffer an incapacitating injury in competition or practice.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024
Criminals incapacitated and robbed over three dozen victims after gaining access to their phones, prosecutors alleged, resulting in the deaths of at least seven people.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 11 Mar. 2024
Shining a laser at an airplane can incapacitate the pilot, leading to injuries and putting passengers at risk.
—Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024
For three weeks, the legislature was effectively incapacitated, at a time when the United States was involved in two overseas wars.
—Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024
After Billionaire Carl Icahn Reveals Nearly 10% Stake Both these compounds have powerful hallucinogenic properties that can incapacitate predators, allowing the toad to escape, relatively unharmed.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024
Experts say this amount will likely financially incapacitate him for the rest of his life.
—Eva Rothenberg, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
Kansas lawmakers are tightening digital security measures after the state’s judicial branch fell victim to a foreign cyberattack last year that left the state’s online court system incapacitated for several months, and studies showed lingering gaps in the state’s cyber security.
—Jenna Barackman, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incapacitate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near incapacitate
Cite this Entry
“Incapacitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incapacitate. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
incapacitate
verb
in·ca·pac·i·tate
ˌin-kə-ˈpas-ə-ˌtāt
incapacitated; incapacitating
: to make incapable : disable
Legal Definition
incapacitate
transitive verb
in·ca·pac·i·tate
ˌin-kə-ˈpa-sə-ˌtāt
incapacitated; incapacitating
1
: to make legally incapable or ineligible
mental illness alone will not incapacitate a person from making a valid contract—Landmark Med. Ctr. v. Gauthier, 635 A.2d 1145 (1994)
Landmark Med. Ctr. v. Gauthier, 635 A.2d 1145 (1994)2
: to deprive of capacity or natural power
an injury that incapacitates the employee
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