handicapped

American  

[han-dee-kapt] / ˈhæn diˌkæpt /

adjective

1. Sometimes Offensive. physically or mentally disabled.

2. of or designed for handicapped people.

   handicapped parking.

3. Sports. (of a competitor) marked by, being under, or having a handicap.

   a handicapped player.

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noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. Often Offensive. disabled persons collectively.

handicapped British  

/ ˈhændɪˌkæpt /

adjective

1. physically disabled

2. psychol denoting a person whose social behaviour or emotional reactions are in some way impaired

3. (of a competitor) assigned a handicap

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Sensitive Note

See cripple.

Usage

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

Other Word Forms

• multihandicapped adjective
• nonhandicapped adjective
• unhandicapped adjective

Etymology

Origin of handicapped

First recorded in 1910–15; handicap + -ed ³

Example Sentences

It has long been handicapped by a rule requiring full consensus among members, meaning decisions are few and far between.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

Hoy’s wife, Kathleen, said her late husband had medical issues, used handicapped parking and though he would sometimes “yell at traffic” she had never known him to draw his weapon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 29, 2025

Efoghe said the Nigerian embassy in Tripoli was "handicapped" and could not intervene because of the political situation.

From BBC • Oct. 14, 2024

Cognitive fluency and watery judicial eyes aside, Arriaga and I are still handicapped without a PC.

From Slate • Sep. 17, 2024

Senate and other offices—it was certainly handicapped, at least in the short term, by Kennedy’s brazen dissemination of inside information.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

Related Words

• disabled