Imbecile

Imbecile is an outdated term that was once used in psychology to denote a category of intellectual disability. It is no longer in use and is now considered offensive. The term was used to describe a person with moderate to severe intellectual disability. The term comes from the Latin word imbecillus, meaning weak, or weak-minded. It included people with an IQ of 26–50, between "idiot" (IQ of 0–25) and "moron" (IQ of 51–70). In the obsolete medical classification (used until the first part of the 20th century), these terms were used to quantify mental retardation.

History

The term "imbecile" was once a medical category of people with moderate to severe intellectual disability, as well as a type of criminal. The word arises from the Latin word imbecillus, meaning weak, or weak-minded. "Imbecile" is one of several similar words used throughout history to describe people with intellectual disabilities, along with "idiot" and "moron", all of which have since become offensive and obsolete.

Use in Psychology

In psychology, "imbecile" is an outdated term used to classify individuals with an IQ of 26–50, which is between "idiot" (IQ of 0–25) and "moron" (IQ of 51–70). This classification was used in the early 20th century, but has since been replaced by the terms "mild", "moderate", "severe", or "profound" levels of intellectual disability.

Modern Usage

Today, the term "imbecile" is no longer in use in the professional community and is considered offensive. It is sometimes used colloquially as an insult, but this usage is generally considered inappropriate and disrespectful.

See Also

• Intellectual disability
• Psychology
• History of psychology

References

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