incapacitate
C1Formal
Definition
Meaning
To deprive of ability, strength, or power; to disable or render unfit.
To make someone or something unable to function, act, or move effectively, often through physical injury, legal restriction, or technical failure. In legal contexts, it can mean to disqualify someone legally.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a temporary or permanent state of being rendered powerless, ineffective, or inoperative. The action is typically external and forceful. It carries a sense of being completely disabled rather than merely hindered.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning or usage. Slight preference in formal/legal contexts in both varieties.
Connotations
Neutral to negative, associated with damage, legal restriction, or tactical advantage (e.g., in military or security contexts).
Frequency
Low-frequency, formal word in both dialects. More common in written than spoken English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject: Agent] incapacitates [Object: Patient] (with [Instrument])[Subject: Cause/Event] incapacitates [Object: Patient]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None directly. Related: 'out of action', 'out of commission'.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. May refer to key personnel being incapacitated, affecting operations.
Academic
Used in law, medicine, political science, and security studies (e.g., 'The law incapacitates offenders deemed a continuing danger').
Everyday
Rare. Might be used in news reports about accidents or attacks.
Technical
Common in legal texts (incapacitated person), medical contexts (incapacitating injury), and military/police jargon (incapacitating agent).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The virus can incapacitate entire computer networks.
- He was legally incapacitated from managing his estate.
- The tear gas was used to incapacitate the rioters.
American English
- The injury incapacitated the star quarterback for the season.
- A software bug incapacitated the trading platform.
- The new regulations could incapacitate small businesses.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- A severe leg injury incapacitated the footballer.
- The power cut incapacitated the factory.
- The new security software is designed to incapacitate malware immediately.
- The court ruling effectively incapacitated the corrupt official from holding public office.
- The strategic aim was to incapacitate the enemy's command and control centres without causing massive casualties.
- Neurotoxins can incapacitate a victim by disrupting nerve function.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'IN-' (not) + 'CAPACITY' (ability) -> to take away the capacity/ability to do something.
Conceptual Metaphor
POWER/ABILITY IS A PHYSICAL FORCE OR POSSESSION (which can be taken away).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'инвалидизировать' (to make an invalid) which is narrower and more permanent. 'Incapacitate' can be temporary. 'Вывести из строя' is a closer functional equivalent.
- Do not translate as 'неспособный' (incapable), which is an adjective describing a state, not the act of causing that state.
Common Mistakes
- Using it to mean 'make incapable' in a general, non-forceful sense (e.g., 'The sad news incapacitated me' is overly dramatic and atypical).
- Confusing with 'incarcerate' (to imprison).
- Incorrect stress: stressing the first syllable (IN-capacitate) instead of the third (in-ca-PAC-i-tate).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'incapacitate' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While often physical, it can refer to legal, technical, or operational disabling (e.g., incapacitating a law, a computer system, or a leader).
'Incapacitate' often implies a more complete and immediate loss of function, sometimes with a strategic or deliberate purpose. 'Disable' is broader and can refer to partial or long-term limitations.
Rarely. It is typically neutral or negative. A positive spin might be in a security context, e.g., 'incapacitating a threat' to protect others.
'Incapacitation' is the act or state of being incapacitated. 'Incapacity' is the lack of ability or power, often used in legal/medical contexts.
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