mongolism

American

[mong-guh-liz-uhm, mon-] / ˈmɒŋ gəˌlɪz əm, ˈmɒn- /

noun

(sometimes initial capital letter)

(no longer in technical use; now considered offensive) Down syndrome.

mongolism British

/ ˈmɒŋɡəˌlɪzəm /

noun

pathol a formerly used and now highly offensive name for Down's syndrome

"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

Usage

See See at Down's syndrome

Etymology

Origin of mongolism

First recorded in 1895–1900; Mongol + -ism

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For example, before Down’s syndrome was named as such, it was called Mongolism—which was later dropped because it was misleading and offensive.

From Slate

And the only book they could find in the library about her condition used a word no longer tolerated: Mongolism.

From Washington Post

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023