Retarded

Retarded is a historical adjective that has been used in various contexts to describe someone with significantly below-average intellectual functioning. The word derives from the verb retard, meaning to slow or delay, and traces to Latin roots. In medical and educational language dating from the 19th and early 20th centuries, terms like “mental retardation” were used to classify a group of cognitive differences.

Over time, the term’s usage shifted from clinical labeling to everyday speech. Beginning in the late 20th century, it became increasingly associated with pejorative and stigmatizing connotations. In many professional settings, including medicine, psychology, and law, the phrase fell out of favor as it was deemed offensive by disability communities and advocacy groups. Revisions to professional classifications followed: many guidelines and statutes moved toward the term intellectual disability or developmental disability, with updates in diagnostic manuals favoring wording like intellectual disability or intellectual developmental disorder.

Today, retarded is generally regarded as outdated and insulting when applied to people. It is advised to avoid using the term to refer to individuals or groups. Instead, respectful, person-first language such as “a person with an intellectual disability” is preferred in clinical, educational, and everyday contexts. The phrase may still appear in historical documents, older literature, or certain legal texts, but contemporary usage prioritizes accuracy and dignity.

See also: intellectual disability, developmental disability, disability rights, ableism.