feeble-mindedness

noun

fee·​ble-mind·​ed·​ness ˌfē-bəl-ˈmīn-dəd-nəs 

variants or feeblemindedness

dated, offensive

: impairment in intellectual ability : intellectual disability

Note: The word feeble-mindedness, which is associated especially with eugenics practices of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is no longer used in medical, educational, and regulatory contexts and is considered offensive.

Word History

First Known Use

1619, in the meaning defined above