impairment
noun
im·pair·ment
im-ˈper-mənt 
plural impairments
: the act of impairing something or the state or condition of being impaired : diminishment or loss of function or ability
… it does not help reverse the impairment of cognitive activity caused by diazepam …—
Corby Kummer
Corby KummerTrichloroethylene has been classified by EPA as a probable human carcinogen, although its primary effect is impairment of the central nervous system.—Chemical & Engineering News
Chemical & Engineering NewsPersons with hearing impairments can now get information about local parks and their facilities by calling the recently installed TDD phone numbers within the Parks Department.—Maryland Magazine
Maryland MagazineStudies show that roughly 11 percent of all kindergarteners have speech or language impairments …—The Springfield (Massachusetts) Union-News
The Springfield (Massachusetts) Union-NewsExamples of impairment in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjusted operating income, which adds back depreciation, amortization and impairment charges, was -$801,000 (Sphere) and $33.7 million (MSG Networks).
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 3 Mar. 2025
Operating income of $3.3 million vs $3.5 million for the same period of fiscal 2023, hit by $6.4 million of noncash impairment charges.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 27 Feb. 2025
Some of these limits are so low – 1 milligram or less in Connecticut, New York, Montana and Rhode Island – that one serving is unlikely to cause impairment.
—Katharine Neill Harris, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2025
This previously untreatable genetic disorder, which affects some 2–3 of every 10 million newborns, leads to profound visual impairments and legal blindness.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impairment
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Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 3 Mar. 2025
Operating income of $3.3 million vs $3.5 million for the same period of fiscal 2023, hit by $6.4 million of noncash impairment charges.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 27 Feb. 2025
Some of these limits are so low – 1 milligram or less in Connecticut, New York, Montana and Rhode Island – that one serving is unlikely to cause impairment.
—Katharine Neill Harris, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2025
This previously untreatable genetic disorder, which affects some 2–3 of every 10 million newborns, leads to profound visual impairments and legal blindness.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impairment
Cite this Entry
“Impairment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impairment. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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