Meanings
comparative more ableist · superlative most ableist
- Exhibiting or relating to ableism.
The words "lame" and "spaz" are ableist slurs.
1 more example
Beyoncé’s commitment to musical and visual storytelling did not “excuse her use of ableist language – language that gets used and ignored all too often”, wrote Diviney.
2022 August 1, Laura Snapes, quoting Hannah Diviney, “Beyoncé to change Renaissance lyric containing ableist slur”, in The Guardian
plural ableists
- One who exhibits ableism, or prejudice against the disabled.
Like racists and sexists, ableists discriminate against the disabled due only to the fact that they have disabilities and believe in the superior nature and abilities of nondisabled people.
2008, Susan Musser, Andrea B. DeMott, David M. Haugen, Rights of the Disabled
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
From able + -ist, by analogy with racist, sexist, etc.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish ableistinen, vammaisia syrjivä
- ableistinenrelating to ableism
- vammaisia syrjivärelating to ableism
- ableistione who exhibits ableism
German ableistisch
- ableistischrelating to ableism
Greek μισαναπηρικός
- μισαναπηρικός (misanapirikós)relating to ableism
Portuguese capacitista, capacitista
- capacitistarelating to ableism
- capacitistaone who exhibits ableism
Spanish capacitista, capacitista
- capacitistarelating to ableism
- capacitistaone who exhibits ableism
Rhymes & wordplay
Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
ableist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ableist
“ableist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ableist. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ableist,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ableist.
Source: ableist on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.