impactful
having or manifesting a great impact or effect: After the senator's impactful speech, her bill passed.
Origin of impactful
1usage note For impactful
The aversion to impactful is reinforced by the distaste some people have for its root impact, especially when that word is used as a verb. (See usage note at impact ). But if impactful is indeed derived from the verb rather than the noun—which is not a certainty—there is nothing ungrammatical about that. When added to a verb, -ful has the meaning “apt to” or “able to,” as in mournful, wakeful, forgetful, and worshipful. Impactful may eventually settle into the language in similar fashion.
In sum, impactful entered English as a normal part of language growth and change, and there is no legitimate linguistic reason to reject it. Although there are alternative words available, English welcomes synonymy. And although the negative reactions to impactful may well be further encouraged by a sense that it is commonly found in so-called business-speak or other jargon-filled contexts, in truth the word, from its beginnings, has also been recorded in reputable newspapers, magazines, academic journals, and books.
Nevertheless, the very fact that so many people have passionate, unyielding objections to impactful makes it advisable to think twice before using it in contexts where it might not be accepted. Perhaps its variant impactive, with exactly the same meaning, is less likely to raise hackles. However, the “-ive” form appears in print only about one-fourth as often as the controversial impactful.
Words Nearby impactful
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use impactful in a sentence
That’s why it was as impactful as it was, but it was really overwhelming to have that kind of responsibility.
Actress, Mother, Activist Alyssa Milano on Life as a Triple Threat | Esabelle Lee | February 11, 2021 | OzyCreate impactful content around local events, trends, movements, and news.
A small business’ step-by-step guide to dominating local search in 2021 | Joseph Dyson | February 10, 2021 | Search Engine WatchThe skills-gap crisis is a global phenomenon, making it critical that we equip the next generation of problem solvers with the training and resources they need to turn great ideas into impactful solutions.
The steps that follow are two of the most impactful steps identified in this SPO series, ones that any ad buyer can take to reap the benefits of a larger supply-path initiative immediately.
New data underscores the impact of match rates on SPO efforts | Trevor Grigoruk | February 4, 2021 | DigidayWe were able to make some pretty impactful adjustments pretty quickly.
PPC award winners talk strategies for competitive times, industries, and marketplaces | Carolyn Lyden | January 29, 2021 | Search Engine Land
Many outlets have received Pulitzer Prizes for less impactful stories.
How TMZ Claims Its Celebrity Scalps, Like Ray Rice | Lloyd Grove | September 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTI am the number one most impactful artist of our generation.
Was there ever a moment when you realized that you had an impactful voice?
Morgan Freeman Says WTF to GOP, Dishes on ‘Last Vegas,’ ‘12 Years a Slave,’ and Batfleck | Marlow Stern | October 23, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTPerhaps, with creativity like that demonstrated by Justin Rowe's sculptures, there may be always be an impactful place for print!
But that romantic vision is colliding with reality, and the results are both ugly and impactful.
Maine, Iowa Caucus Mishaps Prove It’s Time for a Better System | John Avlon | February 15, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
British Dictionary definitions for impactful
/ (ˈɪmpæktfʊl) /
having a powerful effect or making a strong impression : a thoughtful and impactful display of contemporary art
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Browse