A handicap is a physical or mental disability.

A handicap is an event or situation that places you at a disadvantage and makes it harder for you to do something.

If an event or a situation handicaps someone or something, it places them at a disadvantage.

In golf, a handicap is an advantage given to someone who is not a good player, in order to make the players more equal. As you improve, your handicap gets lower.

In horse racing, a handicap is a race in which some competitors are given a disadvantage of extra weight in an attempt to give everyone an equal chance of winning.