impermeable

American  

[im-pur-mee-uh-buhl] / ɪmˈpɜr mi ə bəl /

adjective

1. not permeable; impassable.

2. Chemistry, Geology. (of porous substances, rocks, etc.) not permitting the passage of a fluid through the pores, interstices, etc.

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impermeable British  

/ ɪmˈpɜːmɪəbəl /

adjective

1. (of a substance) not allowing the passage of a fluid through interstices; not permeable

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impermeable Scientific  

/ ĭm-pûr′mē-ə-bəl /

1. Relating to a material through which substances, such as liquids or gases, cannot pass. Some substances, such as some types of contact lenses, are permeable to gas but impermeable to liquid.

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Other Word Forms

• impermeability noun
• impermeableness noun
• impermeably adverb

Etymology

Origin of impermeable

From the Late Latin word impermeābilis, dating back to 1690–1700. See im- ², permeable

Compare meaning

How does impermeable compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• permeable vs. impermeable

Example Sentences

The program levies a property tax on impermeable surfaces to provide around $300 million a year in grants for municipal stormwater capture projects.

From Los Angeles Times

Municipal wells typically draw drinking water from hundreds of feet underground, often tapping into aquifers that lie beneath impermeable clay and silt layers called aquitards.

From Los Angeles Times

Some options include expanding natural floodplains and removing impermeable pavement from cities — approaches that allow the soil to absorb more rainfall, lessening flood risk, and at the same time stockpiling water underground for future use.

From Salon

It is the fantasy of an impermeable barrier that allows one’s purity to remain unsullied.

From Salon

Roberts said that Chiquita Canyon was far behind schedule with the installation of a large impermeable cover, which was intended to suppress odors.

From Los Angeles Times