intellectual disability

noun

: mild to severe impairment in intellectual ability equivalent to an IQ of 70 to 75 or below that is accompanied by significant limitations in social, practical, and conceptual skills (as in interpersonal communication, reasoning, or self-care) necessary for independent daily functioning and that has an onset before age 18

Note: The term intellectual disability is now preferred over mental retardation in medical, educational, and regulatory contexts, as well as in general use. The term mental retardation is increasingly considered offensive, though it was the dominant term into the second decade of the current century.

Examples of intellectual disability in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Lucy, the daughter of a man with intellectual disabilities, was an originary role in more ways than one. —Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026

In one case ProPublica and WPLN investigated, an autistic teenager with an intellectual disability told his teacher that his backpack would blow up if anyone touched it. —Aliyya Swaby, ProPublica, 10 Apr. 2026

The man, identified in court filings as Doe 2, has severe intellectual disabilities and has lived in the United States since the early 1990s under the care of a conservator, per the documents. —Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026

An unlikely duo in the state decided to join forces last year after judges began releasing potentially dangerous defendants suffering from mental health disorders, intellectual disabilities and traumatic brain injuries with no supervision or treatment. —Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1809, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for intellectual disability

• ability
• agility
• civility
• debility
• docility
• ductility
• facility
• fertility
• fragility
• futility
• gentility
• hostility

Kids Definition

intellectual disability

noun

: mild to severe impairment in intellectual ability accompanied by significant limitations in skills (as in communication, reasoning, or self-care) necessary for independent daily functioning

Medical Definition

intellectual disability

noun

: mild to severe impairment in intellectual ability equivalent to an IQ of 70 to 75 or below that is accompanied by significant limitations in social, practical, and conceptual skills (as in interpersonal communication, reasoning, or self-care) necessary for independent daily functioning and that has an onset before age 18

Note: The term intellectual disability is now preferred over mental retardation in medical, educational, and regulatory contexts, as well as in general use. The term mental retardation is increasingly considered offensive, though it was the dominant term into the second decade of the current century.

… Rosa's Law, which changed references in federal law from "mental retardation" to "intellectual disability" and references to a mentally retarded individual to an individual with an intellectual disability.

—Victor R. Martinez