Definitions for handicap
ˈhæn diˌkæphand·i·cap

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. disability, disablement, handicap, impairmentnoun

   the condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental unfitness

   "reading disability"; "hearing impairment"

2. handicapnoun

   advantage given to a competitor to equalize chances of winning

3. hindrance, hinderance, deterrent, impediment, balk, baulk, check, handicapverb

   something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress

4. disable, invalid, incapacitate, handicapverb

   injure permanently

   "He was disabled in a car accident"

5. handicapverb

   attempt to forecast the winner (especially in a horse race) and assign odds for or against a contestant

6. handicap, hinder, hamperverb

   put at a disadvantage

   "The brace I have to wear is hindering my movements"

GCIDERate this definition:3.0 / 1 vote

1. handicapnoun

   a physical or mental disability of the body which makes normal human activities more difficult or impossible; as, his deformed leg was a major handicap in walking.

2. handicapnoun

   any disadvantage that makes an activity more difficult or impossible; as, insufficient capital was a big handicap in competing against Microsoft.

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. handicapnoun

   An allowance of a certain amount of time or distance in starting, granted in a race (or other contest of skill) to the competitor possessing disadvantages; or an additional weight or other hindrance imposed upon the one possessing advantages, in order to equalize, as much as possible, the chances of success.

2. handicapnoun

   The disadvantage itself, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people.

3. handicapnoun

   A race, for horses or men, or any contest of agility, strength, or skill, in which there is an allowance of time, distance, weight, or other advantage, to equalize the chances of the competitors.

4. handicapnoun

   An old game at cards. - Pepys

5. handicapverb

   To encumber with a handicap in any contest.

6. handicapverb

   To place at disadvantage.

   The candidate was heavily handicapped.

7. handicapverb

   To estimate betting odds.

   Grandpa Andy would buy the racing form the day ahead of time so he could handicap the race before he even arrived at the track.

8. Etymology: From hand in cap, in reference to holding the game stakes in a cap.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. handicap

   A handicap is a condition or situation that makes progress, success, or achievement difficult, often referring to a physical or mental disadvantage or disability that restricts a person's abilities in certain areas. In sports and games, it refers to an advantage or disadvantage imposed on a participant or team for the purpose of equalizing chances of winning.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Handicapnoun

   an allowance of a certain amount of time or distance in starting, granted in a race to the competitor possessing inferior advantages; or an additional weight or other hindrance imposed upon the one possessing superior advantages, in order to equalize, as much as possible, the chances of success; as, the handicap was five seconds, or ten pounds, and the like

2. Handicapnoun

   a race, for horses or men, or any contest of agility, strength, or skill, in which there is an allowance of time, distance, weight, or other advantage, to equalize the chances of the competitors

3. Handicapnoun

   an old game at cards

4. Handicapverb

   to encumber with a handicap in any contest; hence, in general, to place at disadvantage; as, the candidate was heavily handicapped

5. Etymology: [From hand in cap; -- perh. in reference to an old mode of settling a bargain by taking pieces of money from a cap.]

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Handicap

   hand′i-kap, v.t. to impose special disadvantages or impediments upon in order to offset advantages, and make a better contest—in a horse-race the superior horse carries a heavier weight, while foot-runners are placed at different distances, or start at different times: (fig.) to place at a disadvantage by some burden or disability.—n. any contest so adjusted, or the condition imposed.—n. Hand′icapper, one who handicaps. [Hand in the cap, from the usage in an ancient kind of sport and method of settling a bargain by arbitration.]

Matched Categories

1. • Advantage
   • Bias

British National Corpus

1. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'handicap' in Nouns Frequency: #2340

How to pronounce handicap?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say handicap in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of handicap in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of handicap in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of handicap in a Sentence

1. Unknown:

   Nothing can be called failure until you accept it as such. You can transmute all past failures and mistakes into assets. Adversity is Nature's method of disciplining people to learn to take possession of their own minds. Greatest blessings often come from the greatest adversities. Study yourself carefully and you may discover that your own emotions are your greatest handicap in the business of accurate thinking.

2. Laurence Rothwachs:

   [These are] things we don’t even think about, in a home that has been constructed with complete handicap accessibility these things are standard, but right now we’re chasing a moving target and trying to get ahead of it. But over time, we’ll see if we have enough capital to push this forward in a serious way.

3. Rory McIlroy:

   What's Mike Davis' handicap ?

4. Philippe Bianchi:

   If he were to have severe handicaps, we are convinced that is not at all what Jules would want, we talked about it. He told us that if one day he had an accident like Michael Schumacher's, even if his only handicap was not being able to drive, he would have a lot of difficulty living with it. Because it was his life.

5. Pierre Moscovici:

   The plan is the answer we need to confront the main handicap of the European economy: the lack of investment.

Popularity rank by frequency of use