retardation

re·tar·da·tion  (rtär-dshn)

n.

1.

a. The act or process of retarding.

b. The condition of being retarded.

2. The extent to which something is held back or delayed.

3. Something that retards; a delay or hindrance.

4. Mental retardation.

5. Music A diminishing of tempo; a retard.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	retardation - a decrease in rate of change; "the deceleration of the arms race" deceleration, slowing alteration, change, modification - an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another; "the change was intended to increase sales"; "this storm is certainly a change for the worse"; "the neighborhood had undergone few modifications since his last visit years ago"
	2.	retardation - the extent to which something is delayed or held back delay, postponement, time lag, wait, hold - time during which some action is awaited; "instant replay caused too long a delay"; "he ordered a hold in the action"
	3.	retardation - any agent that retards or delays or hinders; "flame-retardant" retardant, retardent agent - an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect; "their research uncovered new disease agents"
	4.	retardation - lack of normal development of intellectual capacities backwardness, mental retardation, subnormality, slowness stupidity - a poor ability to understand or to profit from experience mental defectiveness, abnormality - retardation sufficient to fall outside the normal range of intelligence mental deficiency, moronity - mild mental retardation amentia, idiocy - extreme mental retardation imbecility - retardation more severe than a moron but not as severe as an idiot
	5.	retardation - the act of slowing down or falling behind lag, slowdown delay, holdup - the act of delaying; inactivity resulting in something being put off until a later time