- (n.) 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.
- (v.t.) To encumber with a handicap in any contest; hence, in general, to place at disadvantage; as, the candidate was heavily handicapped.
- (n.) An old game at cards.
- (n.) 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.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). handicap. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/handicap/definitions/2014899 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "handicap" http://smartdefine.org/handicap/definitions/2014899 (accessed September 22, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, handicap, Smart Define, viewed 22 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/handicap/definitions/2014899>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "handicap" 27 May 2011. Web. 22 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/handicap/definitions/2014899> |