incapacitate
/ˌɪn.kəˈpæ.sɪ.teɪt/ verb
Forms incapacitates incapacitating incapacitated
- verb To make someone or something incapable of doing something; to disable. “The police officer was incapacitated by a blow to the head.”
- verb (law enforcement) To imprison a potential offender and thereby prevent them from offending.
- verb (law) To make someone ineligible; to disqualify.
Synonyms
Etymology
Mid-17th century, from incapacity + -ate (verb-forming suffix). Compare French incapaciter.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To deprive of capacity or natural power; to disable; to render incapable or unfit; to disqualify; as, his age incapacitated him for war.
- verb To deprive of legal or constitutional requisites, or of ability or competency for the performance of certain civil acts; to disqualify.
Etymology [Pref. in- not + capacitate.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “incapacitate”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details