impairment
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of impairment
Explanation
An impairment makes some things difficult to do. An eye injury can be an impairment to seeing. An impairment can also be any change for the worse. People with impairments have trouble doing something. If you have a hearing impairment, you can’t hear very well. If you have a taste impairment, you can’t enjoy flavors. If you bump your head and can’t remember your name, you’re suffering a mental impairment. Some impairments are temporary. If you sprain your ankle, it will heal, but you'll have to live with the impairment for a while. Losing your job is an impairment to your career and finances. Impairments make things more difficult.
Vocabulary lists containing impairment
"Remarks at the Dedication of the Aerospace Medical Health Center," Vocabulary from the speech
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myPerspectives 7.1
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"Remarks at the Dedication of the Aerospace Medical Health Center" by John F. Kennedy
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The connection caught researchers' attention because other studies have linked declining D-serine levels with aging-related cognitive impairment and reduced synaptic plasticity, the brain's ability to strengthen neural connections involved in memory and learning.
From Science Daily • May 24, 2026
She has speech and language impairment but is able to communicate via body language, pointing and communication aids such as books which help her to indicate her thoughts and feelings.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
The company attributed $30.2 million of that to a “noncash goodwill impairment charge driven by a sustained decline in share price.”
From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026
This is the second serious complication for Foundayo, with 34 adverse events tracked; its label warns against severe hepatic impairment.
From Barron's • May 4, 2026
Along the way, Dr. Strayer was doing other research, related to aging and attention, studying some of the impairment associated with Parkinson’s.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
