incapacitated
adjective
in·ca·pac·i·tat·ed
ˌin-kə-ˈpa-sə-ˌtā-təd 
: deprived of capacity or natural power : made incapable of or unfit for normal functioning
… can care for cats while the owners are away or are temporarily incapacitated and unable to care for their pets.—
Karen Commings
Karen Commings… when an incapacitated patient hasn't left a living will or designated someone to make his or her medical decisions, families agree on what to do anyway in about two-thirds of the cases …—Jeff Chu et al.
Jeff Chu et al.Eventually, he [Washington Roebling] became bedridden, in a room that overlooked the bridge under construction, with Emily effectively serving as assistant engineer and intermediary between the incapacitated chief engineer and his lieutenants on the construction site.—Henry Petroski
Henry Petroski
Examples of incapacitated in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In other instances, a minor or incapacitated beneficiary may have to have a court appoint a guardian to sign off for them.
—Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024
At this point, the doors unlocked to speed up access to passers-by or emergency services for an incapacitated driver.
—Jim Resnick, Ars Technica, 20 Jan. 2024
The 74-year-old Baltimore native will purchase the remaining shares upon the death of Peter Angelos, the incapacitated family patriarch who bought the club for $173 million in 1993.
—Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 14 Feb. 2024
In recent years, he’s become incapacitated and his son, John, has become the face of the franchise, CBS Sports reported.
—Luisa Beltran, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2024
An attorney may be appointed someone’s guardian or conservator if they are declared incapacitated and unable to make financial or personal decisions, according to Alabama law.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2024
Asked why legal fees cannot be more readily known, Moran cited privacy concerns of the incapacitated person.
—Mary Jordan, Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2023
Prosecutors alleged the suspects drugged the victims, used their incapacitated faces to unlock their cellphones using facial recognition technology and then robbed them.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 24 Oct. 2023
The incapacitated fish is then sucked into the body of the robot, and up to 10 fish can be captured before the robot needs to return to the surface.
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 Mar. 2019
Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024
At this point, the doors unlocked to speed up access to passers-by or emergency services for an incapacitated driver.
—Jim Resnick, Ars Technica, 20 Jan. 2024
The 74-year-old Baltimore native will purchase the remaining shares upon the death of Peter Angelos, the incapacitated family patriarch who bought the club for $173 million in 1993.
—Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 14 Feb. 2024
In recent years, he’s become incapacitated and his son, John, has become the face of the franchise, CBS Sports reported.
—Luisa Beltran, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2024
An attorney may be appointed someone’s guardian or conservator if they are declared incapacitated and unable to make financial or personal decisions, according to Alabama law.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2024
Asked why legal fees cannot be more readily known, Moran cited privacy concerns of the incapacitated person.
—Mary Jordan, Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2023
Prosecutors alleged the suspects drugged the victims, used their incapacitated faces to unlock their cellphones using facial recognition technology and then robbed them.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 24 Oct. 2023
The incapacitated fish is then sucked into the body of the robot, and up to 10 fish can be captured before the robot needs to return to the surface.
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 Mar. 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incapacitated.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1769, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near incapacitated
Cite this Entry
“Incapacitated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incapacitated. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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