retarded

The term "retarded" is derived from the verb "to retard," meaning to delay, hinder, or hold back. Historically, it was introduced in clinical psychology and medicine in the early 20th century as a neutral diagnosis—"mental retardation"—to replace older classification terms like "idiot," "imbecile," and "moron," which had developed negative connotations. For much of the 20th century, it was the standard medical and legal terminology used to describe individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Today, the term is the subject of significant linguistic contention and is widely regarded as a slur (often referred to as "the R-word"). While some speakers may still use it colloquially to describe a situation or idea as foolish, arguing that their intent is not to mock people with disabilities, this usage is increasingly socially unacceptable. Disability advocates argue that using a diagnosis for cognitive impairment as a synonym for "stupid" or "bad" reinforces ableist stereotypes and dehumanizes people with disabilities. Reflecting this shift, the term has been removed from federal law (via Rosa’s Law in 2010) and the DSM-5 in favor of "intellectual disability."

Example:
"In 2010, the U.S. government replaced the term mental retardation with 'intellectual disability' in federal statutes."

Example:
"Critics argued that the comedian's use of the word retarded to describe the politician's policy was insensitive and offensive."