Meanings
plural impairments · alternative rare empairment
- countableuncountableThe result of being impaired.
- countableuncountableA deterioration or weakening.
1 more example
We determined that the car driver’s transportation of multiple teen passengers, limited driving experience, and likely impairment from effects of cannabis at the time of the crash adversely affected her judgment of the danger of entering the intersection in front of the approaching combination vehicle.
2024, NTSB, Intersection Crash Between Passenger Car and Combination Vehicle, Tishomingo, Oklahoma, March 22, 2022 - countableuncountablesocial model of disabilityA loss or absence of baseline human functioning that may lead to a disability.
- countableuncountableAn inefficient part or factor.
- countableuncountableaccountingA downward revaluation, a write-down.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental unfitness
nounthe act of making something futile and useless (as by routine)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Frenchampirement
- Anglo-Normanempairement
- Middle Englishempeirement
- Englishimpairment
From Middle English empeirement, empeyrement, emparement, from Anglo-Norman empairement, emperement, enpeirement, from Old French ampirement, anpirement, enperement, equivalent to impair + -ment.
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Danish nedskrivning
- nedskrivningaccounting
Dutch handicap
- handicapresult of being impaired
Finnish häiriö, vika
- häiriöresult of being impaired
- vikaresult of being impaired
- vammaresult of being impaired
- arvonalentuminenaccounting
- arvonalennusaccounting
French handicap
- handicapresult of being impaired
German Verschlechterung, Schwächung
- Verschlechterungresult of being impaired
- Schwächungresult of being impaired
- Behinderungresult of being impaired
- Beeinträchtigungresult of being impaired
- Minderungresult of being impaired
- Verminderungresult of being impaired
- Schädigungresult of being impaired
- Störungresult of being impaired
- Abschwächungresult of being impaired
- Schmälerungresult of being impaired
- Einschränkungresult of being impaired
- Wertminderungresult of being impaired
Greek απομείωση
- απομείωση (apomeíosi)accounting
Hungarian romlás, megromlás
- romlásresult of being impaired
- megromlásresult of being impaired
- leromlásresult of being impaired
- gyengülésresult of being impaired
- károsodásresult of being impaired
- rosszabbodásresult of being impaired
- csökkenésresult of being impaired
Irish lagú
- lagúresult of being impaired
Italian indebolimento
- indebolimentoresult of being impaired
Norwegian Bokmål svekkelse
- svekkelseresult of being impaired
Swedish nedskrivning
- nedskrivningaccounting
Cite this entry
impairment. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/impairment
“impairment.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/impairment. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “impairment,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/impairment.
Source: impairment on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.