noun
Meaning 1
The result of being impaired.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
impairment
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Received-Pronunciation: /ɪmˈpɛəmənt/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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Canada, General-American: /ɪmˈpɛɹmənt/
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Texas: Austin Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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Australian: /ɪmˈpeːmənt/
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CMU ARPABET: IH2 M P EH1 R M AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
A deterioration or weakening.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A disability or handicap.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Qualifier: medical model of disability
Examples
- visual impairment
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A loss or absence of baseline human functioning that may lead to a disability.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Qualifier: social model of disability
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
An inefficient part or factor.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
A downward revaluation, a write-down.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: accounting, business, finance
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
the act of making something futile and useless (as by routine)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: stultification, constipation, deadening
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: degradation, debasement
noun
Meaning 8
damage that results in a reduction of strength or quality
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: damage, harm, hurt, scathe
noun
Meaning 9
the occurrence of a change for the worse
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: damage, harm
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: change, alteration, modification
Narrower terms: detriment, hurt, distortion, deformation, run, ladder, ravel
noun
Meaning 10
the condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental unfitness
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- reading disability
- hearing impairment
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: disability, disablement, handicap
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: unfitness, softness
Narrower terms: bowleg, bow leg, bandyleg, bandy leg, genu varum, tibia vara, anorgasmia, dysphasia, disability of walking, astasia, amputation, hearing impairment, hearing disorder, dysomia, visual impairment, visual defect, vision defect, visual disorder, prolapse, prolapsus, descensus, hypoesthesia, hypesthesia, knock-knee, genu valgum, tibia valga, pigeon toes, bow legs, bandy legs, disintegration
noun
Meaning 11
a symptom of reduced quality or strength
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: deterioration
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: decay
Narrower terms: corrosion, devastation, desolation, decrepitude, dilapidation, wear
History
Etymology
From Middle English empeirement, empeyrement, emparement, from Anglo-Norman empairement, emperement, enpeirement, from Old French ampirement, anpirement, enperement, equivalent to impair + -ment.
Across languages
Translations
39 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Central Bikol: kakundian — result of being impaired
- Dutch: handicap — result of being impaired
- Finnish: häiriö — result of being impaired
- Finnish: vika — result of being impaired
- Finnish: vamma — result of being impaired
- French: handicap — result of being impaired
- German: Verschlechterung — result of being impaired
- German: Schwächung — result of being impaired
- German: Behinderung — result of being impaired
- German: Beeinträchtigung — result of being impaired
- German: Minderung — result of being impaired
- German: Verminderung — result of being impaired
- German: Schädigung — result of being impaired
- German: Störung — result of being impaired
- German: Abschwächung — result of being impaired
- German: Schmälerung — result of being impaired
- German: Einschränkung — result of being impaired
- German: Wertminderung — result of being impaired
- Hungarian: romlás — result of being impaired
- Hungarian: megromlás — result of being impaired
- Hungarian: leromlás — result of being impaired
- Hungarian: gyengülés — result of being impaired
- Hungarian: károsodás — result of being impaired
- Hungarian: rosszabbodás — result of being impaired
- Hungarian: csökkenés — result of being impaired
- Irish: lagú — result of being impaired
- Italian: indebolimento — result of being impaired
- Macedonian: нарушување (narušuvanje) — result of being impaired
- Macedonian: оштетување (oštetuvanje) — result of being impaired
- Macedonian: намалување (namaluvanje) — result of being impaired
- Norwegian Bokmål: svekkelse — result of being impaired
- Serbo-Croatian: oštećenje — result of being impaired
- Serbo-Croatian: hendikep — result of being impaired
- Serbo-Croatian: onesposobljenost — result of being impaired
- Danish: nedskrivning — accounting
- Finnish: arvonalentuminen — accounting
- Finnish: arvonalennus — accounting
- Greek: απομείωση (apomeíosi) — accounting
- Swedish: nedskrivning — accounting
Real reading context