retardation

American  

[ree-tahr-dey-shuhn] / ˌri tɑrˈdeɪ ʃən /

Also retardment

noun

1. the act of retarding or state of being retarded.

2. something that retards; hindrance.

3. Usually Offensive. slowness or limitation in intellectual understanding and awareness, emotional development, academic progress, etc.

4. Music. a form of suspension that is resolved upward.

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retardation British  

/ ˌriːtɑːˈdeɪʃən, rɪˈtɑːdmənt /

noun

1. the act of retarding or the state of being retarded

2. something that retards; hindrance

3. the rate of deceleration

4. psychiatry the slowing down of mental functioning and bodily movement

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Sensitive Note

See retarded.

Other Word Forms

• nonretardation
  noun
• nonretardative
  adjective
• nonretardatory
  adjective
• nonretardment
  noun
• retardative
  adjective
• retardatory
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of retardation

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English retardacioun, from Latin retardātiōn- (stem of retardātiō ), equivalent to retardāt(us) ( see retard, -ate ¹) + -iōn- noun suffix ( see -ion)

Explanation

Retardation is often used to describe problems in human mental development that result in a lack of intelligence or other kinds of physical or learning delays. Retardation can also indicate when something is kept from growing or developing fully. A lack of sunlight might cause retardation of your tomato plants, for example, stunting their growth. You can use retardation to describe other kinds of slowness or delays too, including simply a decrease in speed. In fact, the Latin root word, retardare, means "to make slow, delay, keep back, or hinder."

Example Sentences

The Arc was founded in the 1950s by parents of disabled children, and Kennedy created a Presidential Panel on Mental Retardation to create momentum for important changes in national policy.

From Salon • Feb. 21, 2023

Commissioner of the Department of Mental Retardation, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court unanimously affirmed a lower-court finding of contempt against the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for its interference with the use of electronic stimulus devices.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2016

In October 1963, the passage of the Mental Retardation Facilities and Community Mental Health Centers Construction Act increased support for public mental health services.

From Textbooks • Dec. 30, 2014

Until now, Brackman’s biggest art project was Daniel Angiulu’s work at the former Mental Health and Mental Retardation Authority building at 2850 Fannin, across the street from “Preservons.”

From Washington Times • Jun. 5, 2014

Retardation is continually balanced by acceleration, and the motion of the sphere would, therefore, be approximately uniform about the central axis of rotation.

From The Energy System of Matter A Deduction from Terrestrial Energy Phenomena by Weir, James