impediment

[im-ped-uh-muhnt]

noun

1. obstruction; hindrance; obstacle.

   Synonyms: check, encumbrance, bar
   Antonyms: encouragement, help

2. any physical impairment or condition that impedes normal, fluent, or easy speech; a speech disorder.

3. Chiefly Ecclesiastical Law.,  a bar, usually of blood or affinity, to marriage.

   a diriment impediment.

4. Usually impediments. impedimenta.

impediment

/ ɪmˈpɛdɪmənt /

noun

1. a hindrance or obstruction

2. a physical defect, esp one of speech, such as a stammer

3. law an obstruction to the making of a contract, esp a contract of marriage by reason of closeness of blood or affinity

Other Word Forms

• impedimental adjective
• impedimentary adjective
• nonimpedimental adjective
• nonimpedimentary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of impediment¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin impedīmentum; impede, -ment

Synonym Study

See obstacle.

Example Sentences

Yet companies today wishing to offer options to large numbers of their employees face a significant regulatory impediment: the Financial Accounting Standard 123R.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But Newsom’s biggest political impediment — his Left Coast pedigree — hasn’t changed.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Relaxing some of those impediments for trusted partners like South Korea or Japan was part of a House bill proposed in August.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A big impediment, the researchers found, is that many of those tools aren’t yet programmed to learn from users’ past interactions.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Far from being the impediment to the Peace Process, Hamas was its one essential element.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• barrier 
• bottleneck 
• burden 
• defect 
• deterrent 
• difficulty 
• disadvantage 
• drawback 
• flaw 
• handicap 
• hazard 
• hitch 
• hurdle 
• inhibition 
• obstacle 
• red tape 
• restriction 
• setback 
• snag 
• stumbling block