What is the Latin word for disability?

The usual Latin words for “disability” are ingenium, imbēcillitās, īnfirmitās. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“disability” in Latin

ingeniuminnate or natural quality, natural character; nature; disposition, temper, inclination; intelligence, natural capacity imbēcillitāsweakness, feebleness; powerlessness, helplessness; illness īnfirmitāsweakness, feebleness, infirmity; sickness

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

disability

by circumlocution. He confesses his disability, confitetur se non posse. To lie under a disability of doing anything, aliquid non posse: to lie under a disability in consequence of anything, aliqua re parum posse (e.g., ingenio). To lie under a legal disability, legibus vetari; jure prohiberi: to acknowledge no disability, nihil non se efficere posse ducere. [Vid: To DISABLE.] Sometimes imbecillitas; infirmitas (weakness) may serve (as in “the understanding is conscious of its disability”).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for disability?: The usual Latin words for “disability” are ingenium, imbēcillitās, īnfirmitās. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.