Able-bodied refers, in law, to an individual's physical or mental capacity for gainful employment or military service, and it is in this sense that the term is also used regarding eligibility for payment of child support or alimony.
The term is also used by disability rightsactivists and their supporters to refer to those who function "normally" in society and do not have an outward physical disability. It is often noted by these activists that "able-bodied" is, for each individual who is able-bodied, always temporary.
