Disables

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Prevents something from working or functioning properly ; causes a loss of physical or mental ability
2. Renders a device or system inoperative or unusable ; brings about a condition that limits normal physical or mental activity
3. Stops a machine or process from operating correctly ; induces a disability or impairment in a person or organism

Etymology: "Disables" is the third-person singular form of "disable," which is built from the prefix "dis-" and the adjective "able." The prefix "dis-" carries a sense of reversal or removal, so "disable" means to take away the ability to do something. The "able" part comes from Latin "habilis," meaning "easy to handle" or "fit," itself rooted in "habere," "to have" or "to hold." That Latin root travelled through Old French "able" into Middle English, where "able" meant capable or skilled. The verb was formed in English by attaching "dis-" to "able," a straightforward combination that reverses the sense of the original adjective. Its meanings spread from taking away a capacity in a person to rendering a machine or system inoperative, which is why the word now covers both physical injury and technical failure.

Synonyms: deactivates, impairs, hinders

Antonyms: enables, activates