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
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
Chris Sims, IndyStar, 29 Aug. 2025
Each division named a champion based on their gross score, or total strokes taken, and their net score, which is adjusted by the player’s handicap.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Leadership is also said to be considering a 10-bill per member limit on bill introductions in the House ― down from the current 15-bill limit, which could disproportionately handicap Democrats in the superminority.
—Melissa Brown, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for handicap
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Noun
The parking area is handicap accessible, as well as the free tram service from the lot to the festival grounds.
—Chris Sims, IndyStar, 29 Aug. 2025
Each division named a champion based on their gross score, or total strokes taken, and their net score, which is adjusted by the player’s handicap.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
And now, the Spagnuolo scandal in the ANDIS agency for the handicapped.
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Leadership is also said to be considering a 10-bill per member limit on bill introductions in the House ― down from the current 15-bill limit, which could disproportionately handicap Democrats in the superminority.
—Melissa Brown, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for handicap
Cite this Entry
“Handicap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handicap. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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