A disability is a permanent injury, illness, or physical or mental condition that tends to restrict the way that someone can live their life.
Facilities for people with disabilities are still insufficient.
...athletes who have overcome a physical disability to reach the top of their sport.
Synonyms: condition, disorder, infirmity More Synonyms of disability
2. uncountable noun
Disability is the state of being disabled.
Disability can make extra demands on financial resources.
Synonyms: incapacity, infirmity, disablement More Synonyms of disability
disability in British English
(ˌdɪsəˈbɪlɪtɪ)
nounWord forms: plural-ties
1.
a physical or mental condition or illness that restricts a person in his or her ability to move or use his or her senses
2.
something that disables; handicap
3.
lack of necessary intelligence, strength, etc
4.
an incapacity in the eyes of the law to enter into certain transactions
▶ USAGE Many deaf people object to the use of the phrase hearing disability
disability in American English
(ˌdɪsəˈbɪlɪti)
nounWord forms: pluralfor 2 -ties
1.
lack of adequate power, strength, or physical or mental ability; incapacity
2.
something that makes it difficult for a person to live a full life or hold a gainful job
3.
anything that disables or puts one at a disadvantage
His mere six-foot height will be a disability in professional basketball
4.
the state or condition of being disabled
5.
legal incapacity; legal disqualification
6. See disability insurance
Word origin
[1570–80; dis-1 + ability]
Examples of 'disability' in a sentence
disability
This can trigger mental health problems as well as physical disabilities.
The Sun (2017)
We have a training centre that offers a year's course in supported employment for people with learning disabilities.
The Sun (2016)
Cuts to social care will affect the most vulnerable, including those in care and those with learning disabilities.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We are also familiar with dogs for people with physical disabilities, opening doors and picking things up from the floor.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Anyone with learning disabilities will need to come with a known buddy and must undergo a safety check to determine their suitability for life on board.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I don't really consider myself as having a disability or a condition.
The Sun (2016)
Our second charity works within the UK and has a unique approach to helping families struggling to cope with disability and illness.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He has always been drawn to unfashionable causes, from mental health to disability, just as he champions here overlooked countries and struggles.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They will cover homes for the elderly and those for people with learning disabilities and mental illness.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The charity provides residential and nursing care for people with learning and physical disabilities.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
There appears to be a routine failure to abide by disability discrimination law.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Your disability makes you very vulnerable and his behaviour could be seen as exploitative.
The Sun (2008)
We need to make it easier for young people with disabilities to live an independent life.
The Sun (2009)
People with disabilities and health conditions face particular barriers to finding and keeping jobs.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
People with learning disabilities and their carers ought to be involved in providing this training.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Table tennis is played by athletes with a physical or intellectual disability.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
These will involve more rigorous checks on claimants to make sure their disability qualifies.
The Sun (2012)
My father had chronic health issues and lived on disability cheques.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Mental health conditions and learning disabilities are often overlooked.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
High proportion of offenders have learning disabilities.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Technical help for the old to overcome disabilities is studied.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
She devoted her life to improving the support and opportunities available to people with learning disabilities and mental health problems.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Other recipients will include the disability charity Scope.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Good lobbying is a perfectly reasonable way of getting information from a disability charity or a biotech firm to the people making policy.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
She was not daunted by illness or disability and turned both into opportunities to help others to face the challenges that she was experiencing.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
He walked with a stick normally anyway as the result of a car accident in 1963 and his new injury emphasised his disability.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Now she teaches disability law and human rights courses and says: 'I absolutely love it.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The effect of such enforced loneliness, on top of the burden of injury and disability, can only be imagined.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In other languages
disability
British English: disability /ˌdɪsəˈbɪlɪtɪ/ NOUN
A disability is a physical or mental condition that restricts the way someone can live their life.
...facilities for people with disabilities.
American English: disability
Arabic: عَجْز
Brazilian Portuguese: deficiência
Chinese: 残疾
Croatian: invaliditet
Czech: invalidita
Danish: handicap
Dutch: invaliditeit
European Spanish: discapacidad
Finnish: vamma pysyvä
French: handicap
German: Behinderung Körper/Geist
Greek: αναπηρία
Italian: disabilità
Japanese: 身体障害
Korean: 장애
Norwegian: uførhet
Polish: niemożność
European Portuguese: deficiência
Romanian: handicap
Russian: инвалидность
Latin American Spanish: discapacidad
Swedish: funktionshinder
Thai: ความพิการ
Turkish: sakatlık
Ukrainian: інвалідність
Vietnamese: sự tàn tật
All related terms of 'disability'
disability charity
A charity is an organization which raises money in order to help people who are sick or very poor , or who have a disability .
disability clause
(in life assurance policies ) a clause enabling a policyholder to cease payment of premiums without loss of coverage and often to receive a pension or indemnity if he or she becomes permanently disabled
disability pension
a pension paid to people who are unable to continue to work because of a disability
hidden disability
any permanent disabling condition that is not obvious to other people, such as deafness or chronic depression
mental disability
a condition that limits a person's intellectual capacity , resulting directly or indirectly from injury to the brain or from abnormal neurological development
disability allowance
an amount of money paid by a government to people who are unable to work because of a disability
disability insurance
insurance against the possibility of becoming permanently disabled
learning disability
a condition which limits a person's capacity to learn
developmental disability
a disability , as mental retardation or cerebral palsy , that begins at an early age and continues indefinitely , leading to substantial handicap
disability discrimination
Discrimination is the practice of treating one person or group of people less fairly or less well than other people or groups.
disability living allowance
(in Britain) a tax-free allowance made by the government to people aged 16 or under who have difficulty in walking or need help with personal care
Disability Rights Commission
(formerly in Britain) a body appointed by the Government to enforce anti-discrimination law affecting people with disabilities ; replaced in 2007 by the Equality and Human Rights Commission
disablement clause
(in life assurance policies) a clause enabling a policyholder to cease payment of premiums without loss of coverage and often to receive a pension or indemnity if he or she becomes permanently disabled
disablement pension
a pension paid to people who are unable to continue to work because of a disability
disablement insurance
insurance against the possibility of becoming permanently disabled
Chinese translation of 'disability'
disability
(dɪsəˈbɪlɪtɪ)
n
(c) (physical) 伤(傷)残(殘) (shāngcán)
(c) (mental) 残(殘)疾 (cánjí)
(u) (= state of being disabled) 残(殘)废(廢) (cánfèi)
1 (noun)
Definition
a physical or mental condition or illness that restricts a person in his or her ability to move or use his or her senses
Facilities for people with disabilities are still inadequate.
Synonyms
condition
disorder
a rare nerve disorder that can cause paralysis of the arms
infirmity
Older people often try to ignore their infirmities.
handicap (old-fashioned, offensive)
2 (noun)
Disability can affect your life in various ways.
Synonyms
incapacity
They have a total incapacity to laugh at themselves.
infirmity
They have a total incapacity to laugh at themselves.
disablement
Additional synonyms
in the sense of disorder
Definition
an illness
a rare nerve disorder that can cause paralysis of the arms
Synonyms
illness,
disease,
complaint,
condition,
sickness,
ailment,
affliction,
malady,
infirmity,
indisposition
in the sense of infirmity
Definition
physical weakness or frailty
Older people often try to ignore their infirmities.
Synonyms
ailment,
failing,
weakness,
fault,
disorder,
defect,
sickness,
malady
in the sense of infirmity
Definition
lack of power, strength, or ability
They have a total incapacity to laugh at themselves.