verb
Meaning 1
To hinder, impede, or prevent.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
impeach
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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/ɪmˈpiːt͡ʃ/
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rhymes with -iːtʃ
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: IH2 M P IY1 CH Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
verb
Meaning 2
To bring a legal proceeding against a public official.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- President Clinton was impeached by the House in November 1998, but since the Senate acquitted him, he was not removed from office.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To charge with impropriety; to discredit; to call into question.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
To demonstrate in court that a testimony under oath contradicts another testimony from the same person, usually one taken during deposition.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
bring an accusation against; level a charge against
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- The neighbors accused the man of spousal abuse
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: accuse, incriminate, criminate
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: charge, accuse
Narrower terms: reproach, upbraid, arraign, recriminate, charge, lodge, file
verb
Meaning 6
charge (a public official) with an offense or misdemeanor committed while in office
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- The President was impeached
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: charge, lodge, file
verb
Meaning 7
challenge the honesty or veracity of
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- the lawyers tried to impeach the credibility of the witnesses
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: challenge
History
Etymology
From Middle English empechen, borrowed from Anglo-Norman empecher, from Old French empeechier (“to hinder”), from Latin impedicāre (“to fetter”). Cognate with French empêcher (“to prevent”).
Across languages
Translations
57 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: препятствам (prepjatstvam) — to hinder
- Bulgarian: забавям (zabavjam) — to hinder
- Chinese Mandarin: 阻礙 /阻碍 (zǔ'ài) — to hinder
- Chinese Mandarin: 阻止 (zǔzhǐ) — to hinder
- Finnish: estää — to hinder
- French: empêcher — to hinder
- French: entraver — to hinder
- German: verhindern — to hinder
- Japanese: 阻止する (soshi suru) — to hinder
- Japanese: 遅滞させる (chitai saseru) — to hinder
- Japanese: 妨害する (bōgai suru) — to hinder
- Japanese: 妨げる (samatageru) — to hinder
- Kazakh: күрмеу (kürmeu) — to hinder
- Russian: препя́тствовать (prepjátstvovatʹ) — to hinder
- Russian: меша́ть (mešátʹ) — to hinder
- Turkish: mani olmak — to hinder
- Turkish: önlemek — to hinder
- Belarusian: абвінава́чваць (abvinaváčvacʹ) — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Belarusian: абвінава́ціць (abvinavácicʹ) — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Bulgarian: обвинявам (obvinjavam) — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Chinese Mandarin: 彈劾 /弹劾 (tánhé) — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Esperanto: akuzi — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Finnish: syyttää virkarikoksesta — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Finnish: nostaa virkasyyte — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- German: anklagen — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Hebrew: התחיל תהליך הדחה (hitkhíl tahalíkh hadakhá) — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Hungarian: bevádol — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Hungarian: vád alá helyez — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Icelandic: kæra — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Japanese: 弾劾する (dangai suru) — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Kazakh: импичмент жариялау (impiçment jariälau) — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Korean: 탄핵 (tanhaek) — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Portuguese: impedir — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Portuguese: impugnar — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Portuguese: impichar — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Russian: обвиня́ть (obvinjátʹ) — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Russian: предъявля́ть обвине́ние (predʺjavljátʹ obvinénije) — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Turkish: itham etmek — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Turkish: suçlamak — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Vietnamese: luận tội — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Vietnamese: đàn hặc — to bring legal proceeding against public official
- Bulgarian: дискредитирам (diskreditiram) — to charge with impropriety
- Chinese Mandarin: 控告 (kònggào) — to charge with impropriety
- Chinese Mandarin: 質疑 /质疑 (zhìyí) — to charge with impropriety
- Esperanto: akuzi — to charge with impropriety
- Finnish: kyseenalaistaa — to charge with impropriety
- French: discréditer — to charge with impropriety
- German: in Verruf bringen — to charge with impropriety
- German: schlechtmachen — to charge with impropriety
- Japanese: 疑う (utagau) — to charge with impropriety
- Russian: обвиня́ть (obvinjátʹ) — to charge with impropriety
- Russian: осужда́ть (osuždátʹ) — to charge with impropriety
- Vietnamese: gièm pha — to charge with impropriety
- Vietnamese: nói xấu — to charge with impropriety
- Vietnamese: bôi nhọ — to charge with impropriety
- Vietnamese: chê trách — to charge with impropriety
- German: die Glaubwürdigkeit anzweifeln — to demonstrate a contradiction