intellectual disability

American  

[in-tl-ek-choo-uhl dis-uh-bil-i-tee] / ˌɪn tlˈɛk tʃu əl ˌdɪs əˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun

1. a developmental disorder characterized in varying degrees by significant limitations on intellectual abilities, such as learning, problem solving, and reasoning, and on adaptive abilities such as social and practical skills: the diagnostic term intellectual disability replaced the older designation mental retardation in the 2010s. ID

---

Etymology

Origin of intellectual disability

First recorded in 1805–10

Example Sentences

The research team also highlighted an unexpected finding: some participants showed only psychiatric symptoms, even though GRIN2A changes are usually linked to epilepsy or intellectual disability.

From Science Daily • Dec. 2, 2025

Clinicians might also be less frequently assigning other labels such as intellectual disability, formally referred to as mental retardation, some data suggest.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 14, 2025

For example, a student with intellectual disability may have an individualized education plan that includes speech therapy.

From Slate • Jul. 9, 2025

One study shows that between 2000 and 2018, new autism diagnoses of those with intellectual disability rose about 20%, while autism diagnoses in those without intellectual disability rose 700%.

From BBC • May 2, 2025

In 2002, there were about a hundred people with mental retardation facing execution when the Court banned the death penalty for people with intellectual disability.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• cognitive impairment
• debilitation
• impairment
• incapacitation
• limitation
• restriction