retardate

[ ri-tahr-deyt ]

noun

1. Older Use: Offensive. a person who has an intellectual disability or is otherwise limited, as educationally or emotionally.

retardate

/ rɪˈtɑːdeɪt /

noun

1. psychol a person who is retarded

Word History and Origins

Origin of retardate¹

First recorded in 1910–15; probably back formation from retardation

Example Sentences

Standees parted to make a path for us into the Grand Ballroom, and Nemur waved to the reporters and photographers who had come to hear at first hand about the startling things that had been done with a retardate adult in just a little over three months.

From Literature

During a mock bayonet drill supervised by Bronson, other recruits beat McClure, 20, a mental retardate, into a vegetable.

From Time Magazine Archive