What does "retardation" mean?
The act of retarding or delaying; hindrance.; The distance by which one wave is behind another.
Retardation
/ˌɹiː.tɑːˈdeɪ̯.ʃən/ noun, slang
noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of retarding or delaying; hindrance.; The distance by which one wave is behind another.
- Grammar: retardation is listed as noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: deceleration, slowdown, slowing, afterthought.
- Useful contrasts: acceleration, advancement, hasting.
- Usage evidence: The study found evidence that iron deficiency can lower intelligence test scores by five to seven points, and a lack of iodine in pregnancy causes as many as 20 million babies a year to be born with mental retardation.
How to use "retardation"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "retardation" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "retardation" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "retardation" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "retardation" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "retardation" is acting as noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "deceleration" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "retardation", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of retarding or delaying; hindrance.; The distance by which one wave is behind another. countable, uncountable
- 2 the act of slowing down or falling behind wordnet
- 3 The act of retarding or delaying; hindrance.; The act of diminishing the rate of speed. countable, uncountable
- 4 a decrease in rate of change wordnet
- 5 The act of retarding or delaying; hindrance.; A decrease in the speed of telegraph signalling. countable, uncountable
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 lack of normal development of intellectual capacities wordnet
- 7 The extent to which anything is retarded; the result of any retarding or delay; mental, social, or physical slowness. countable, uncountable
- 8 any agent that retards or delays or hinders wordnet
- 9 Ellipsis of mental retardation. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
"Me and my friends used to feed LSD to this little retarded girl in our neighborhood and we'd lock arms around her and go "nightmare! Nightmare! Nightmare! Nightmare! Nightmare! Nightmare! Nightmare! Nightmare!" It actually cured her retardation."
- 10 the extent to which something is delayed or held back wordnet
- 11 Extreme stupidity. colloquial, countable, derogatory, offensive, uncountable
- 12 That which retards; an obstacle; an obstruction. countable, uncountable
- 13 Deceleration; reduction in the magnitude of velocity. countable, uncountable
"It was on the first day of the new year that the announcement was made, almost simultaneously from three observatories, that the motion of the planet Neptune, the outermost of all the planets that wheel about the sun, had become very erratic. Ogilvy had already called attention to a suspected retardation in its velocity in December. Such a piece of news was scarcely calculated to interest a world the greater portion of whose inhabitants were unaware of the existence of the planet Neptune, nor outside the astronomical profession did the subsequent discovery of a faint remote speck of light in the region of the perturbed planet cause any very great excitement. Scientific people, however, found the intelligence remarkable enough, even before it became known that the new body was rapidly growing larger and brighter, that its motion was quite different from the orderly progress of the planets, and that the deflection of Neptune and its satellite was becoming now of an unprecedented kind."
- 14 A suspension which resolves upwards. countable, uncountable
Antonyms
Example
"The study found evidence that iron deficiency can lower intelligence test scores by five to seven points, and a lack of iodine in pregnancy causes as many as 20 million babies a year to be born with mental retardation."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "retardation"?
Common synonyms include: deceleration, slowdown, slowing, afterthought, amentia, arrest.
How do you use "retardation" in a sentence?
The study found evidence that iron deficiency can lower intelligence test scores by five to seven points, and a lack of iodine in pregnancy causes as many as 20 million babies a year to be born with mental retardation.
How do you pronounce "retardation"?
Pronounced /ˌɹiː.tɑːˈdeɪ̯.ʃən/.
Etymology
From retard + -ation.