retardation

/ˌritɑrˈdeɪʃən/
noun
  1. The act of slowing down or the state of being delayed in progress or development.
    • The drug caused a retardation of the disease's progression.
    • The retardation of the train schedule was due to a signal failure.
    • Economic retardation can result from poor government policies.
  2. An outdated and offensive term for intellectual disability.
    • The term 'mental retardation' is no longer used in medical or educational settings.
    • Many laws have replaced 'mental retardation' with 'intellectual disability.'
    • Using 'retardation' to describe a person is considered disrespectful today.
What does "retardation" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean