BACKWARDNESS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does backwardness mean? 

• BACKWARDNESS (noun)
  The noun BACKWARDNESS has 1 sense:

1. lack of normal development of intellectual capacities

  Familiarity information: BACKWARDNESS used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BACKWARDNESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Lack of normal development of intellectual capacities

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

backwardness; mental retardation; retardation; slowness; subnormality

Hypernyms ("backwardness" is a kind of...):

stupidity (a poor ability to understand or to profit from experience)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "backwardness"):

abnormality; mental defectiveness (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)

Derivation:

backward (retarded in intellectual development)

 Context examples 

So far was she, at the same time, from any backwardness to give Elinor that credit which Edward WOULD give her, that she spoke of her friendship for them both with the most grateful warmth, was ready to own all their obligation to her, and openly declared that no exertion for their good on Miss Dashwood's part, either present or future, would ever surprise her, for she believed her capable of doing any thing in the world for those she really valued.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Willoughby's behaviour in taking leave of them, his embarrassment, and affectation of cheerfulness, and, above all, his unwillingness to accept her mother's invitation, a backwardness so unlike a lover, so unlike himself, greatly disturbed her.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)