hand·i·cap
ˈhan-di-ˌkap 
-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
handicapped; handicapping
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
Synonyms
Noun
Verb
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
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
A vehicle was blocking the handicap ramp Tuesday in the first block of Taft Street.
—The Aegis, 14 July 2017
Participants must be 21 years old or older and have an official USGA handicap.
—Naperville Sun, 7 July 2017
When Britain leaves the EU, British financial services companies would lose the automatic right to operate in all the other 27 EU states, a big handicap.
—Washington Post, 23 June 2017
One man, who has a handicap, had to escape through a window, according to media reports.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, kansascity.com, 21 June 2017
With a USGA 1.3 handicap, Mercer is a latecomer to golf, having taken it up in 2005 at the end of his freshman high school year at Gary (Ind.) Roosevelt.
—Gregg Voss, chicagotribune.com, 29 June 2017
These are just a few examples of the many companies that have excelled by treating transparency not as a handicap, but as a competitive advantage.
—Sophie Bakalar, Fortune, 24 June 2017
James Vaznis, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Sep. 2023
Directed and co-written by Ryan, the trailer looks cute enough, although slightly handicapped by the fact that the movie looks to take place entirely in an airport.
—Dan Heching, CNN, 4 Sep. 2023
That Week 3 meeting with Louisville in Indianapolis looks more and more like the proper start of a season whose expectations remain difficult to handicap.
—Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Sep. 2023
That meant a long wait, trying not to handicap the odds as other competitors took the stage, trying not to lose focus on their own game.
—Lawrence Specker | Lspecker@al.com, al, 13 Aug. 2023
The Fed’s two primary goals when setting monetary policy are price stability and maximum stable employment, and a lack of reliable information on the gig economy labor force may be handicapping the central bank, said Groshen, who was a member of the Federal Reserve System for 27 years.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN, 24 July 2023
To make matters worse, the slow-working Jansen could be handicapped by the advent of the pitch clock.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2023
The industry has already been handicapped by the pencils-down stance of the the Writers Guild of America, which went on strike against the AMPTP on May 2.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 8 July 2023
No one handicapping 2020 anticipated that John McCain would sweep New Hampshire in an 18-point landslide and ride into political history with his Straight Talk Express, even though the Arizona maverick fell short in the South Carolina primary and eventually dropped out the following March.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 6 June 2023
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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
A vehicle was blocking the handicap ramp Tuesday in the first block of Taft Street.
—The Aegis, 14 July 2017
Participants must be 21 years old or older and have an official USGA handicap.
—Naperville Sun, 7 July 2017
When Britain leaves the EU, British financial services companies would lose the automatic right to operate in all the other 27 EU states, a big handicap.
—Washington Post, 23 June 2017
One man, who has a handicap, had to escape through a window, according to media reports.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, kansascity.com, 21 June 2017
With a USGA 1.3 handicap, Mercer is a latecomer to golf, having taken it up in 2005 at the end of his freshman high school year at Gary (Ind.) Roosevelt.
—Gregg Voss, chicagotribune.com, 29 June 2017
These are just a few examples of the many companies that have excelled by treating transparency not as a handicap, but as a competitive advantage.
—Sophie Bakalar, Fortune, 24 June 2017
Verb
The cost of the project is expected to exceed more than 30 percent of the value of the 1931 building, a threshold that triggers a mandate under state law to make old public buildings handicap accessible.
—James Vaznis, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Sep. 2023
Directed and co-written by Ryan, the trailer looks cute enough, although slightly handicapped by the fact that the movie looks to take place entirely in an airport.
—Dan Heching, CNN, 4 Sep. 2023
That Week 3 meeting with Louisville in Indianapolis looks more and more like the proper start of a season whose expectations remain difficult to handicap.
—Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Sep. 2023
That meant a long wait, trying not to handicap the odds as other competitors took the stage, trying not to lose focus on their own game.
—Lawrence Specker | Lspecker@al.com, al, 13 Aug. 2023
The Fed’s two primary goals when setting monetary policy are price stability and maximum stable employment, and a lack of reliable information on the gig economy labor force may be handicapping the central bank, said Groshen, who was a member of the Federal Reserve System for 27 years.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN, 24 July 2023
To make matters worse, the slow-working Jansen could be handicapped by the advent of the pitch clock.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2023
The industry has already been handicapped by the pencils-down stance of the the Writers Guild of America, which went on strike against the AMPTP on May 2.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 8 July 2023
No one handicapping 2020 anticipated that John McCain would sweep New Hampshire in an 18-point landslide and ride into political history with his Straight Talk Express, even though the Arizona maverick fell short in the South Carolina primary and eventually dropped out the following March.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 6 June 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'handicap.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near handicap
Cite this Entry
“Handicap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handicap. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
handicap
1 of 2 noun
hand·i·cap
ˈhan-di-ˌkap
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
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
Nglish: Translation of handicap for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of handicap for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about handicap
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