verb
incapacitate
ihn-kuh-PA-sih-tayt
verb
1
To make someone or something unable to function normally.
"The injury incapacitated him for several weeks."
2
To make someone officially unfit or ineligible for a role.
"A criminal conviction can incapacitate a person from holding public office."
How to Use Incapacitate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo disable someone, either physically or in terms of their legal ability to act.
Common pairings
incapacitate an attacker
temporarily incapacitated
Word Forms
incapacitated past tense, incapacitates singular
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The injury _____ him for several weeks.
Etymology
From incapacity plus the verb-forming suffix -ate, from the mid-1600s; compare French incapaciter.