retardation: Meaning and Definition of

re•tar•da•tion

Pronunciation: (rē"tär-dā'shun), [key]
— n.
  1. the act of retarding or state of being retarded.
  2. something that retards; hindrance.
  3. slowness or limitation in intellectual understanding and awareness, emotional development, academic progress, etc.
  4. a form of suspension that is resolved upward.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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