English Reference
Adjective

incapacitated

adj.
C1 Advanced US /ˌɪnkəˈpæsɪˌteɪtɪd/ UK /ɪnkəpˈæsɪtˌeɪtɪd/ in·ca·pac·i·tat·ed

adj.unable to do things normally because of an injury, illness, or lack of strength.

adj.deprived of the physical or mental capacity to perform normal functions. Often used to describe a temporary or permanent state resulting from trauma or medical conditions.


SIMPLE

He was incapacitated by a bad back injury.

CONTEXTUAL

The flu was so severe that it incapacitated half the office staff for over a week.

COMPLEX

The legal document outlines who should manage the estate if the owner becomes mentally incapacitated and can no longer make sound financial decisions.

Usage

Often follows a linking verb like 'be' or 'become'; frequently paired with the preposition 'by'.

More scrutiny has come over repeated incidents of sick and incapacitated pensioners being convicted for not paying their household bills.

The Guardian· 2 Sept 2026

One 74-year-old British man, who has been in Sweden for 25 years, is this week facing deportation despite having vascular dementia and parkinsonism, and being so incapacitated that he is in full-time care.

The Guardian· 15 Aug 2026
This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated