handicapped

[ han-dee-kapt ]
/ ˈhæn diˌkæpt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR handicapped ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

Sometimes Offensive. physically or mentally disabled.
of or designed for handicapped people: handicapped parking.
Sports. (of a competitor) marked by, being under, or having a handicap: a handicapped player.

noun

(used with a plural verb) Sometimes Offensive. handicapped persons collectively (usually preceded by the): increased job opportunities for the handicapped.

QUIZZES

HEED THE VOX POPULI, AND TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Test your memory on these verbal firecrackers from the week of June 29 to July 5!
Question 1 of 7
anchorite
a granular metamorphic rock.
a person who has retired to a solitary place for a life of religious seclusion.
a hobble or fetter for a horse or other animal.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of handicapped

First recorded in 1910–15; handicap + -ed3

usage note for handicapped

See cripple.

OTHER WORDS FROM handicapped

mul·ti·hand·i·capped, adjectivenon·hand·i·capped, adjectiveun·hand·i·capped, adjective

Words nearby handicapped

handheld computer, handhold, handholding, handicap, handicap register, handicapped, handicapper, handicraft, handicraftsman, handies peak, handily

Definition for handicapped (2 of 2)

handicap
[ han-dee-kap ]
/ ˈhæn diˌkæp /

noun

verb (used with object), hand·i·capped, hand·i·cap·ping.

Origin of handicap

1640–50; 1870–75 for def 8; orig. hand i' cap hand in cap, referring to a drawing before a horse race

OTHER WORDS FROM handicap

non·hand·i·cap, nouno·ver·hand·i·cap, verb (used with object), o·ver·hand·i·capped, o·ver·hand·i·cap·ping.pre·hand·i·cap, noun, verb (used with object), pre·hand·i·capped, pre·hand·i·cap·ping.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to handicapped

disabled, disadvantaged, crippled, wounded, limited, restricted, burdened, restrained, stymied, checked, balked, curbed, impeded, foiled, deterred, blocked

Example sentences from the Web for handicapped

  • You are terribly 'handicapped' as the racing people call it.

    Perlycross|R. D. Blackmore

British Dictionary definitions for handicapped (1 of 2)

handicapped
/ (ˈhændɪˌkæpt) /

adjective

physically disabled
psychol denoting a person whose social behaviour or emotional reactions are in some way impaired
(of a competitor) assigned a handicap

usage for handicapped

Nowadays the use of the word handicapped to describe people with disabilities is generally considered inappropriate. It is preferable to refer to someone as having a disability and to talk about people with disabilities

British Dictionary definitions for handicapped (2 of 2)

handicap
/ (ˈhændɪˌkæp) /

noun

verb -caps, -capping or -capped (tr)

Word Origin for handicap

C17: probably from hand in cap, a lottery game in which players drew forfeits from a cap or deposited money in it
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for handicapped

handicap
[ hăn′dē-kăp′ ]

n.

A physical, mental, or emotional condition that interferes with one's normal functioning.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.