handicap

1 of 2

noun

hand·​i·​cap ˈhan-di-ˌkap How to pronounce handicap (audio)
-dē-
1
a
: a race or contest in which an artificial advantage is given or disadvantage imposed on a contestant to equalize chances of winning
b
: an advantage given or disadvantage imposed usually in the form of points, strokes, weight to be carried, or distance from the target or goal
2
a
: a disadvantage that makes achievement unusually difficult
b
sometimes offensive : a physical disability

handicap

2 of 2

verb

handicapped; handicapping

transitive verb

1
a
: to give a handicap to
b
: to assess the relative winning chances of (contestants) or the likely winner of (a contest)
2
: to put at a disadvantage

Examples of handicap in a Sentence

Noun His shyness was a handicap in his job. She's been practicing a lot and her handicap has gone down from 18 to 12. Verb It's very hard to handicap the election at this point. the baseball player's small size did not handicap him in the least
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
In 1936, famed Olympic runner Jesse Owens raced a horse in a 100-yard dash and won thanks in part to a 40-yard handicap). Emily Barone, Time, 19 July 2017 LNK classes have done everything from installing handicap doors at Redwood to creating a Healthy Newborn site for Transitions that serves mothers going through addiction recovery. Brent Cooper, Cincinnati.com, 17 July 2017
Verb
This is dragging Biden’s poll numbers down and threatening to severely handicap Democratic candidates in the midterm elections. Steven A. Cook, Foreign Affairs, 20 June 2022 Investors are handicapping what Friday’s monthly employment report from the government might bring and mean for the pace of further Fed interest rates cuts. Jim Cramer, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for handicap 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

obsolete English handicap, a game in which forfeit money was held in a cap, from hand in cap

First Known Use

Noun

1751, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1789, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of handicap was in 1751

Dictionary Entries Near handicap

Cite this Entry

“Handicap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handicap. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

handicap

1 of 2 noun
hand·​i·​cap ˈhan-di-ˌkap How to pronounce handicap (audio)
1
: a race or contest in which competitors with different levels of ability are given an artificial advantage or disadvantage to equalize chances of winning
also : the advantage or disadvantage given
2
a
: a disadvantage that makes progress or success difficult
being lazy was a handicap
b
sometimes offensive : a physical disability

handicap

2 of 2 verb
handicapped; handicapping
1
: to give a handicap to
2
: to put at a disadvantage

Medical Definition

handicap

noun
hand·​i·​cap ˈhan-di-ˌkap How to pronounce handicap (audio)
1
: a disadvantage that makes achievement unusually difficult
2
sometimes offensive : a physical disability

Legal Definition

handicap

noun
han·​di·​cap
: a physical disability (as a bodily impairment or a devastating disease)

More from Merriam-Webster on handicap

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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