Retarded vs Incompetent - What's the difference?
retarded | incompetent |
Delayed; delayed in development, hindered; impeded.
* 2004 , Duncan Mackay, The Observer , 8 Aug 2004:
(chiefly, North America) Underdeveloped (of a person's intelligence, abilities etc.).
* 2000 , Kate Connolly, The Guardian , 19 Apr 2000:
(colloquial, derogatory) Stupid, dumb.
* 1988 , Raymond E Feist, Faerie Tale :
(physics) Designating a parameter of an electromagnetic field which is adjusted to account for the finite speed of radiation.
(retard)
Unskilled, lacking normally expected degree of ability.
Unable to make rational decisions, insane or otherwise cognitively impaired.
As adjectives the difference between retarded and incompetent
is that retarded is delayed; delayed in development, hindered; impeded while incompetent is incompetent.As a verb retarded
is (retard).retarded
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- HGH, which was originally developed to assist children with retarded growth, is believed to be especially popular with sprinters.
- The European Roma Rights Centre in Budapest, which is representing the children - from the north-eastern city of Ostrava - said that the education ministry and local authorities had for decades "perpetuated a system which routinely brands disproportionate numbers of Gypsies as mentally retarded ".
- Looking at Jack, Gabbie said, "What?" "That's the Troll Bridge." She groaned at the pun. "That's retarded ."
Verb
(head)incompetent
English
Adjective
(head)- Having an incompetent lawyer may be grounds for a retrial, but the lawyer in question probably doesn't know that.
- The charged was judged incompetent to stand trial, at least until his medication started working.