What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Disability vs Unability - What's the difference?

disability | unability |

As nouns the difference between disability and unability

is that disability is state of being disabled; deprivation or want of ability; absence of competent physical, intellectual, or moral power, means, fitness, and the like while unability is inability.

disability

English

(wikipedia disability) (Webster 1913)

Noun

(en-noun)
  • State of being disabled; deprivation or want of ability; absence of competent physical, intellectual, or moral power, means, fitness, and the like.
  • * (rfdate),
    • Grossest faults, or disabilities to perform what was covenanted.
  • * (rfdate),
    • Chatham refused to see him, pleading his disability .
  • Want of legal qualification to do a thing; legal incapacity or incompetency.
  • * (rfdate), .
    • The disabilities of idiocy, infancy, and coverture.
  • (uncountable, informal) Regular payments received by a disabled person, usually from the state
    • I had to go on disability after the accident.
    Did you get your disability this month?

    Usage notes

    * Disability and inability: Inability is an inherent want of power to perform the thing in question; disability arises from some deprivation or loss of the needed competency. One who becomes deranged is under a disability of holding his estate; and one who is made a judge, of deciding in his own case. A man may decline an office on account of his inability to discharge its duties; he may refuse to accept a trust or employment on account of some disability prevents him from entering into such engagements.

    Synonyms

    * disqualification * impotence * inability * incapacity * incompetency * incompetence * weakness

    Antonyms

    * ability * capacity * competence * competency * potence * potential * qualification * strength

    Related terms

    * disable * disabled * disablism

    unability

    English

    Noun

    (-)
  • (obsolete) Inability.
  • *, II.12:
  • *:difficulty doth not make me despaire, much lesse my unability : for it is but mine owne.
  • *1644 , (John Milton), Aeropagitica :
  • *:there being so many whose businesse and profession meerly it is, to be the champions of Truth; which if they neglect, what can be imputed but their sloth, or unability ?