Unable vs Disable - What's the difference?

unable | disable |

As adjectives the difference between unable and disable

is that unable is not able; lacking a certain ability while disable is lacking ability; unable.

As a verb disable is

to render unable; to take away an ability of.

unable

English

Adjective

(-)

Not able; lacking a certain ability.

*{{quote-news, year=2011, date=December 21, author=Tom Rostance, work=BBC Sport

, title= Fulham 0-5 Man Utd , passage=Fulham switched off as Giggs took a quick corner to Valencia. He played it back to Giggs, whose cross was headed in by Nani with the lurking Rooney unable to add a touch. }}

*{{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-28, author=(Joris Luyendijk)

, volume=189, issue=3, page=21, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Our banks are out of control , passage=Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […]. Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. […] But the scandals kept coming, […]. A broad section of the political class now recognises the need for change but remains unable to see the necessity of a fundamental overhaul.}}

Are you unable to mind your own business or something?

Antonyms

* able

Anagrams

disable

English

Verb

(disabl)

To render unable; to take away an ability of.

(chiefly, of a person) To impair the physical or mental abilities of; to cause a serious, permanent injury.

Falling off the horse disabled him.

to deactivate a function of an electronical or mechanical device.

The pilot had to disable the autopilot of his airplane.

Antonyms

* enable

Derived terms

* disablement

Adjective

(en adjective)

(obsolete) Lacking ability; unable.

* Daniel

Our disable and unactive force.