impediment

American  

[im-ped-uh-muhnt] / ɪmˈpɛd ə mənt /

noun

• impediments
  plural

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.

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impediment British  

/ 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

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Synonym Usage

See obstacle.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• impediments
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

impediment impediments

But remember, despair isn’t activism—it’s just another impediment to progress.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

“That makes sense, and there’s no legal impediment to doing that.”

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

"Human consent is not an impediment to progress. Human consent does not diminish the struggles and the joys of technological innovation or inhuman creativity," Blanchett said at the event in the parliament's library.

From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026

“ULA has been an impediment to the Palisades recovery, leaving properties sitting empty and people mired in tax and regulatory hell,” City Councilmember Traci Park, who represents Pacific Palisades, told colleagues before the vote.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

She has a speech impediment, bad moods, and “a couple of peculiar habits that many would find repellent,” he tells Theo.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

As much as you might want to stay in your home, new impediments can arise.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026

Once the MoU is signed, the US will begin removing its naval blockade and "any disturbances or impediments" that have been placed on Iranian ports, the fourth point says.

From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026

The EPA also removed "all federal impediments to selling E10," gasoline blended with 10 percent ethanol, Zeldin said.

From Barron's ● Mar. 25, 2026

Wiener said his bill would rectify those impediments.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2026

You wouldn’t think there is anything life threatening about speech impediments, but let me tell you, there is nothing more dangerous than being a lad with a stutter and a lisp.

From "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie

Related Words

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