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Showing results for impairment. Search instead for impanelment.
Synonyms

impairment

American  
[im-pair-muhnt] / ɪmˈpɛər mənt /

noun

  1. the state of being diminished, weakened, or damaged, especially mentally or physically.

    cognitive impairment in older adults.

Etymology

Origin of impairment

impair + -ment

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When Woods was examined for signs of impairment, he mentioned the number of injuries and surgeries he had been through, according to Budensiek.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

"There is currently not a single gynaecological condition listed as a recurring or fluctuating impairment in the guidance on the disability definition," Sanju explains.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

Net losses widened 69% to $57.7 million, which BuzzFeed attributed to a “$30.2 million noncash goodwill impairment charge driven by a sustained decline in share price.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026

To explore this possibility, the research team examined plasma samples from 520 participants divided into three groups: cognitively normal adults, individuals with mild cognitive impairment and patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

From Science Daily • Mar. 12, 2026

Was she just a poor speller, or was this a sign of mental impairment?

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.