verb
disable
dihs-AY-buhl
verb
1
To take away someone's ability to do something, especially by injuring them.
"The stroke disabled him on one side of his body."
"A serious knee injury disabled the star player for the season."
2
To turn off or deactivate a function, especially on a device or system.
"You can disable notifications in the settings menu."
"The technician disabled the alarm before entering the building."
How to Use Disable
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo make something or someone unable to function, whether that's a body, a machine, or a feature.
Common pairings
disable a feature
disable an account
permanently disabled
Word Forms
more disable comparative, disabled past tense, disables singular, most disable superlative
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The stroke _____ him on one side of his body.
Etymology
From dis- ("not, opposite of") plus able, tracing back through Old French to Latin habilis, "manageable."