handicapped
Americanadjective
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Sometimes Offensive. physically or mentally disabled.
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of or designed for handicapped people.
handicapped parking.
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Sports. (of a competitor) marked by, being under, or having a handicap.
a handicapped player.
noun
adjective
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physically disabled
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psychol denoting a person whose social behaviour or emotional reactions are in some way impaired
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(of a competitor) assigned a handicap
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
Etymology
Origin of handicapped
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.
That has handicapped Europe’s ability to compete with the U.S. and China.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
Byron Callan, a defense analyst at Washington, D.C.–based Capital Alpha Partners, which advises investors on government policy matters, has handicapped five possible outcomes in Iran.
From Barron's ● Mar. 6, 2026
Cognitive fluency and watery judicial eyes aside, Arriaga and I are still handicapped without a PC.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2024
He won because his season-long performances gave him a handicapped head start.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2024
We find a handicapped parking spot right in front of the studio, and after the usual unloading the chair down the car ramps, seating me and strapping me in, then attaching Elvira, we roll inside.
From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
