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Glite Dictionary
🚫 Discriminating against disabled 👤 A prejudiced person
ableist

ableist

1 8.1
Treating people with disabilities unfairly
  • adjective
  • /ˈeɪblɪst/
: capacitista
  • Don't call her a psychopath, that's so ableist.

Yeah, I, I think ableist language, which, you know, is, is getting a bit of attention in a very sort of small part of certain communities.

Examples

  • Many common expressions are ableist, often perpetuating stereotypes about those with disabilities.

  • I notice you have consistently refused to answer when I asked why you approve of ableist insults while, at the same time, claiming to condemn racist or gendered insults.

    Blog text (3)

  • If you use an ableist insult, you are silencing those who are disabled.

    Blog text (3)

  • I have been consciously trying to avoid the gendered and ableist insults

    Blog text (3)

  • Using terms like 'crazy' as an insult can be very ableist towards individuals with mental health issues.

  • It's important to recognize ableist language and strive for inclusivity in our conversations.

Synonyms

prejudiced
vsableist
42 5.0

Having an unfair dislike for a person or group because of who they are

focuses on people with disabilities rather than general personal bias
discriminatory
vsableist
  • Offensive
37 6.0

Treating people unfairly because of their race, sex, age, or religion

targets people with disabilities specifically rather than people in general

Antonyms

inclusive
85 4.1

Including all the things or people mentioned, even the limits

How Prejudiced

ableist
1 8.1
discriminatory
  • Offensive
37 6.0
biased
152 4.0
prejudiced
42 5.0
tolerant
71 3.2
indifferent
6 3.7

Surface Forms

ableist positive

Morphology

ableist = able (transparent) = able + ist

The adjective is formed by adding the productive suffix '-ist' to 'able' (pattern similar to 'racist', 'sexist'), so learners who know 'able' and the '-ist' pattern can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Ableist comes from able ('having ability') plus the ending -ist ('one who believes'), like in racist or sexist, so ableist describes actions or language that treat people with disabilities unfairly.