Words / C1

ink-uh-PAS-it-ayt/ˌɪnkəˈpæsɪteɪt/

To incapacitate is to make someone unable to work, move, or perform a role: incapacitated by illness, a fault that incapacitates the alarm. Capacity (already in the dictionary) is the related noun; a “characterful” closer that no longer latches is still a maintenance log.

Meaning

To make someone unable to work or act normally.

Examples

• “A gas leak will incapacitate the hall; a wreath is not a closure log.”
• “A fault that incapacitates the fire-door closer is a maintenance log, not “character”.”
• “Disable is the close twin. Immobilise is the movement twin. Character is a story. A latch is hardware. Book the engineer; keep the adjectives for the heritage leaflet.”

Good to know

Make unable to act or work. Related: capacity (already in the dictionary). Hardware failure ≠ character.

Near in meaning

disable, immobilise

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