Langimage
English

impairment

|im-pair-ment|

B2

🇺🇸

/ɪmˈpɛrmənt/

🇬🇧

/ɪmˈpeəmənt/

damage or deficiency

Etymology
Etymology Information

'impairment' originates from the Old French word 'empeirement', where 'em-' meant 'in' and 'peire' meant 'worse'.

Historical Evolution

'empeirement' transformed into the Middle English word 'empeirement', and eventually became the modern English word 'impairment'.

Meaning Changes

Initially, it meant 'to make worse', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a condition of being damaged'.

Meanings by Part of Speech

Noun 1

a condition in which a part of the body or mind is damaged or does not work well.

Hearing impairment can affect communication.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:35