idiot
[ id-ee-uht ]
/ ˈɪd i ət /
noun
Informal.
an utterly foolish or senseless person: If you think you can wear that outfit to a job interview and get hired, you're an idiot!
Psychology.
(no longer in technical use; considered offensive) a person of the lowest order in a former and discarded classification of mental retardation, having a mental age of less than three years old and an intelligence quotient under 25.
Origin of idiot
1250–1300; Middle English < Latin
idiōta < Greek
idiṓtēs private person, layman, person lacking skill or expertise, equivalent to
idiō- (lengthened variant of
idio-
idio-, perhaps by analogy with
stratiōtēs professional soldier, derivative of
stratiá army) +
-tēs agent noun suffix
OTHER WORDS FROM idiot
id·i·ot·ic, adjectiveWords nearby idiot
Example sentences from the Web for idiot
British Dictionary definitions for idiot
idiot
/ (ˈɪdɪət) /
noun
a person with severe mental retardation
a foolish or senseless person
Word Origin for idiot
C13: from Latin
idiōta ignorant person, from Greek
idiōtēs private person, one who lacks professional knowledge, ignoramus; see
idio-
Medical definitions for idiot
idiot
[ ĭd′ē-ət ]
n.
A person of profound mental retardation having a mental age below three years and generally being unable to learn connected speech or guard against common dangers. The term belongs to a classification system no longer in use and is now considered offensive.