cretinism

C3R1E1T1I1N1I1S1M3

noun

A condition of severely stunted physical and mental growth due to the untreated congenital deficiency of thyroid hormones.

Similar
congenital iodine deficiency syndrome
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Meanings

nouncretinism (countable and uncountable, plural cretinisms)

plural cretinisms

  1. archaiccountableuncountablemedicineA condition of severely stunted physical and mental growth due to the untreated congenital deficiency of thyroid hormones.

    Cretinism is a form of amentia, which is endemic in certain districts, especially in some of the valleys of Switzerland, Savoy, and France.

    1922, W. G. Aitchison Robertson, Aids to Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, 9th edition, page 69

    Synonyms: congenital iodine deficiency syndrome

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA condition of severely stunted physical and mental growth due to the untreated congenital deficiency of thyroid hormones.

Similar
congenital iodine deficiency syndrome

Origin

From cretin + -ism.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan cretinisme
  • cretinismedisease of severely stunted physical and mental growth
Chinese Mandarin 先天性碘缺乏症候群
  • 先天性碘缺乏症候群 (xiāntiānxìng diǎn quēfá zhènghòuqún)disease of severely stunted physical and mental growth
Czech kretenismus
  • kretenismusdisease of severely stunted physical and mental growth
Finnish kretinismi
  • kretinismidisease of severely stunted physical and mental growth
French crétinisme
  • crétinismedisease of severely stunted physical and mental growth
German Kretinismus
  • Kretinismusdisease of severely stunted physical and mental growth
Greek κρετινισμός
  • κρετινισμός (kretinismós)disease of severely stunted physical and mental growth
Italian cretinismo
  • cretinismodisease of severely stunted physical and mental growth
Polish kretynizm
  • kretynizmdisease of severely stunted physical and mental growth
Portuguese cretinismo
  • cretinismodisease of severely stunted physical and mental growth
Romanian cretinism
  • cretinismdisease of severely stunted physical and mental growth
Russian кретини́зм
  • кретини́зм (kretinízm)disease of severely stunted physical and mental growth
Spanish cretinismo
  • cretinismodisease of severely stunted physical and mental growth
Turkish kretinizm
  • kretinizmdisease of severely stunted physical and mental growth
Cite this entry
APA

cretinism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cretinism

MLA

“cretinism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cretinism. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cretinism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cretinism.

Source: cretinism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.