What does retarded mean?
Retarded is a dated English word that was historically used as an adjective and verb. As an adjective, it described someone whose mental or physical development was considered delayed, especially in outdated medical, educational, and legal contexts. It could also describe growth or progress that had been slowed, although that older extension is now rare. As a verb, it meant to delay development or progress. The word is no longer considered acceptable when applied to people: its clinical history developed alongside demeaning treatment and institutionalization of disabled people, and contemporary usage recognizes it as an ableist term. References to people should use terms such as “disabled,” “with intellectual disabilities,” or a more specific diagnosis when one is known. Retarded remains useful in dictionaries because it preserves the history of disability language and helps readers interpret older texts, films, records, and quotations. Its key modern significance is negative and educational rather than descriptive.
Historically, intellectually disabled or delayed in mental or physical development; now considered offensive when describing people.
"The historical document used the offensive phrase “mentally retarded” to describe its subjects."
Dated and ordinarily offensive in modern prose. It is encountered mainly in historical quotations or descriptions of obsolete terminology.
To delay the development or progress of something; now chiefly archaic.
"The unexpected strike retarded production for several weeks."
Archaic and uncommon in contemporary usage. Its impersonal use does not carry the same direct insult as the historical description of a person.
Once presented as clinical vocabulary, “retarded” is now recognized as a demeaning ableist term whose difficult history makes it important to understand.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does retarded come from?
Retarded entered English through French, ultimately deriving from Latin retardare, meaning “to delay” or “hold back.” The Latin verb was formed from tardus, meaning “slow” or “late,” a root also preserved in English words such as tardy. The English adjective became established in the 17th century and was later widely used in medical and educational descriptions of perceived developmental differences. That historical clinical use did not erase its earlier association with delay and slowness, and the word is now avoided because of its demeaning social history.
How retarded is actually used
This word is obsolete and offensive in most modern usage, especially as a description of a person's intelligence or development. Historical quotations should be retained only when necessary to represent a source accurately, and context should make clear that the wording is being criticized rather than endorsed.
Easily confused with retarded
Related means connected or associated with something, whereas retarded historically meant delayed in development and is now offensive when applied to people.