Meaning & use
incapacity
A lack of the physical, mental, or legal capacity needed to act or make decisions.
See it in a sentence
His injury left him in a state of temporary incapacity for several months.
The court appointed a guardian because of the elderly man's mental incapacity.
A note on using this word
In law, incapacity often specifically means a person lacks the legal ability to make binding decisions, such as signing a contract.
Words with a similar meaning
inabilitydisability
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
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