'incapacitate' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'incapacitas,' where 'in-' meant 'not' and 'capacitas' meant 'capacity or ability.'

'incapacitas' transformed into the French word 'incapacité,' and eventually became the modern English word 'incapacitate' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'lack of capacity or ability,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.