impediment
Americannoun
-
impediments
plural
-
obstruction; hindrance; obstacle.
- Synonyms:
- check, encumbrance, bar
- Antonyms:
- encouragement, help
-
any physical impairment or condition that impedes normal, fluent, or easy speech; a speech disorder.
-
Chiefly Ecclesiastical Law. a bar, usually of blood or affinity, to marriage.
a diriment impediment.
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Usually impediments. impedimenta.
noun
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a hindrance or obstruction
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a physical defect, esp one of speech, such as a stammer
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law an obstruction to the making of a contract, esp a contract of marriage by reason of closeness of blood or affinity
Synonym Usage
See obstacle.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of impediment
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin impedīmentum; see impede, -ment
Explanation
An impediment is anything that slows or blocks progress. It can refer to a physical thing, like a fallen tree in the road, or something more intangible, like how your short stature is an impediment to becoming a professional basketball player. See the pedi in there? Pedi means "feet" and hundreds of years ago, the word impediment referred to shackling one's feet. Now its use has broadened considerably. An impediment is something that blocks or impedes your path. There's no end to the things in life that can be considered impediments: a small bank account, a low-paying job, a country's economic malaise — any one of these could be considered an impediment in someone's quest for happiness.
Vocabulary lists containing impediment
"Harrison Bergeron"
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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Othello
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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.
See Examples For:
One impediment has been the spotty availability of charging infrastructure.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
But remember, despair isn’t activism—it’s just another impediment to progress.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
This is, by far, the main structural impediment to success.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
“That makes sense, and there’s no legal impediment to doing that.”
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
However, there is a characteristic impediment to life on such a planet: the atmosphere is turbulent, and down deep it is very hot.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Another American official said the U.S. would lift its blockade on Iranian ports if Tehran opened the strait without impediments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
As much as you might want to stay in your home, new impediments can arise.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026
UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said at the weekend that assistance for the territory's 2.1 million population "must be scaled up by removing impediments and safeguarding neutrality of aid".
From BBC ● May 5, 2026
“At least the impediments that kept us from retaining recruits, to get them in the academy, that has changed.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2026
In Jane Austen’s novels there are star-crossed lovers who have impediments thrown in their way—by their parents, society, or their own doubts.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
