English

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Etymology

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From able body +‎ -ed.

Pronunciation

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  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈeɪ.bl̩ˌbɑ.did/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Hyphenation: a‧ble-bod‧ied

Adjective

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able-bodied (comparative more able-bodied, superlative most able-bodied)

  1. (possessional) Having a sound, strong body; physically competent; robust; fit for service.
    • 1893, James Anthony Froude, History of England from the Fall of Wolsey to the Defeat of the Spanish Armada:
      A servant determinately idle, leaving his work, or an able-bodied vagrant, roaming the country without means of honest self-support and without seeking employment, was to be brought before the two nearest magistrates.
  2. Not disabled; having no physical disability.
    Synonyms: abled, (less common) enabled
    Antonym: disabled
    Unfair discrimination between the able-bodied and the disabled is illegal in many places.
  3. (nautical) Capable of performing all requisite duties as a seaman, specifically in the Royal Navy, a rating between leading and ordinary.

Derived terms

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Translations

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