impingement

[ im-pinj-muhnt ]

noun

1. the act or fact of encroaching or infringing:

   This is an impingement on the fundamental right of free speech.

2. the act or fact of striking or touching something, or the effect produced by this:

   The impingement on the diamond’s hard crystal surface is due to oxygen in the air.

3. Medicine/Medical. the act or fact of interfering with something, especially a nerve, through contact or pressure:

   Impingement on the nerves can be relieved by removing the portion of the bone compressing the neural structures.

Word History and Origins

Origin of impingement¹

impinge ( def ) + -ment ( def )

Example Sentences

While logistical constraints have led to the decision to delay implementation, there is also concern that SB 43 might be challenged in court as an impingement upon civil liberties.

From Los Angeles Times

Cobb said he’s accepted that the hip impingement injury he sustained in June is likely to linger the remainder of the season.

From Washington Times

District Court Judge Joseph Goodwin said Saint Marys Correctional Center inmate Andrew Miller “easily meets his threshold burden of showing an impingement on his rights.”

From Seattle Times

“Whether this was the intended purpose, the result is an unnecessary and unjustified impingement on the duties and obligations of elected county attorneys in Arizona.”

From Seattle Times

But he’s pitched in only three games for Class AAA Tacoma this season and has dealt with shoulder issues, diagnosed as an impingement, since spring training.

From Seattle Times