impact

verb im·pact \ im-ˈpakt \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of impact

transitive verb

1 a : to fix firmly by or as if by packing or wedging

b : to press together

2 a : to have a direct effect or impact on : impinge on

b : to strike forcefully; also : to cause to strike forcefully

intransitive verb

1 : to have an impact —often used with on

2 : to impinge or make contact especially forcefully

See impact defined for English-language learners

See impact defined for kids

Examples of impact in a Sentence

No one is sure how these changes will impact our relations with other countries.
Both events negatively impacted her life.
The tax increase will impact low-income families the most.
The poor economy is impacting on small businesses.
A crater was formed at the point where the meteor impacted the planet's surface.

Recent Examples of impact from the Web

Yetter and McLaren will discuss some of the factors behind the recent changes and how the shakeup will impact education in the Bluegrass State.

— The Courier-Journal, "Replay: Courier Journal reporters discuss Kentucky Department of Education shakeup," 18 Apr. 2018
More research must be done to determine how the enzyme could impact the future of recycling and waste — and help shrink that garbage island twice the size of Texas floating in the Pacific Ocean.

— editors, USA TODAY, "When you fly, the difference between life and death is a matter of inches," 18 Apr. 2018
Tuesday showed how Realmuto can impact the lineup by adding a run-producing bat in the middle of the order.

— craig davis, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Marlins better with Realmuto, but more contributors needed to boost offense," 18 Apr. 2018
This raises questions over how the widespread use of these engines might impact airline safety going forward.

— aric jenkins, Fortune, "Southwest Airlines Races to Inspect Plane Engines After Deadly Explosion," 18 Apr. 2018
Commissioners have an assortment of factors to weigh, including how the decision will impact moving 911 Central Communications to 157 Franklin St. from the sheriff’s department as part of the county’s facilities upgrade, Biggs said.

— amy lavalley, Post-Tribune, "Porter County insurance savings reach $280K," 17 Apr. 2018
Leading up to giving birth, the senator openly expressed concerns how the Senate rules might impact her ability to do so while caring for her newborn.

— sunlen serfaty, CNN, "Duckworth proposes rule allowing babies on Senate floor," 17 Apr. 2018
The band shared the sad news on Twitter Friday explaining how Lewis' hearing loss has impacted his ability to sing.

— Fox News, "Huey Lewis and the News cancel 2018 shows citing singer's hearing loss," 13 Apr. 2018
Trump did not concern himself with how this move could impact the 11,000 American military personnel stationed at Al Udeid Air Base.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump Is Using American Foreign Policy As His Stress Ball," 12 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'impact.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of impact

Latin impactus, past participle of impingere to push against — more at impinge

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1601

See Words from the same year

impact Synonyms

impact

noun im·pact \ ˈim-ˌpakt \

Definition of impact

1 a : an impinging or striking especially of one body against another

b : a forceful contact or onset; also : the impetus communicated in or as if in such a contact

2 : the force of impression of one thing on another : a significant or major effect

the impact of science on our society

an environmental impact study

See impact defined for English-language learners

Examples of impact in a Sentence

No one could have survived such an impact.
These warnings have been heard so often that they have lost their impact.
The book had a huge impact when it first came out.
We need to be concerned about the environmental impacts of all this construction.
She expects to make an immediate impact at work.

Recent Examples of impact from the Web

Amy Mangold, the reigning Teacher of the Year for 2017, urged the audience to think of teachers who had an impact on them.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "Bel Air High School's Paula Stanton is Harford County's Teacher of the Year for 2018," 5 Apr. 2018
Nevertheless, Britain’s blunter exercise is having an impact.

— The Economist, "Forcing employers to reveal their gender pay gaps is making them think," 5 Apr. 2018
The brewing trade dispute between the U.S. and China is taking aim at American farmers in a way that could have an impact on the mid-term elections this year.

— cesca antonelli, Bloomberg.com, "Brewing Trade Fight Takes Aim at Swing-State Soybeans," 4 Apr. 2018
That did not have an impact on this house fire, which was south of Laraway Road in the Jackson Branch subdivision, Riegel said, but a second fire crew enroute to the scene was stopped by a train.

— susan demar lafferty, Daily Southtown, "Father, son injured in New Lenox house fire," 3 Apr. 2018
Stock market performance is one of many variables that could at the margins have an impact on the midterm elections this November.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Investor Fears of a Democratic Win in November Could Help Democrats Win in November," 2 Apr. 2018
While the Gamecocks were superior, the energy taken to topple the Huskies had an impact.

— mel greenberg, Philly.com, "Coach Muffet McGraw, a St. Joseph's graduate, guides Notre Dame to a stunning upset of Connecticut and a berth in the NCAA final," 31 Mar. 2018
The increase in the age for tobacco in Aurora will have an impact at Waubonsee Community College and Aurora University, which have a number of students in the 18- to 20-year-old age group.

— david sharos, Aurora Beacon-News, "Aurora's move to increase smoking age to 21 gets mixed reviews," 31 Mar. 2018
These studies show that coinfection can worsen, ameliorate or have no impact on the course of an illness.

— richard klasco, m.d., New York Times, "Can You Get Two Colds at Once?," 30 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of impact

1781

impact Synonyms

Synonyms

bump, collision, concussion, crash, impingement, jar, jolt, jounce, kick, shock, slam, smash, strike, wallop;

bashing, battering, bludgeoning, clobbering, hammering, lambasting, licking, pounding, pummeling (also pummelling), thrashing;

contact, encounter, meeting, touch;

Synonym Discussion of impact

impact, collision, shock, concussion mean a forceful, even violent contact between two or more things. impact may be used to imply contact between two things, at least one of which is impelled toward the other.

- the glass shattered on impact with the floor

collision implies the coming together of two or more things with such force that both or all are damaged or their progress is severely impeded.

- the collision damaged the vehicle

shock often denotes the effect produced by a collision and carries the suggestion of something that strikes or hits with force.

- the shock of falling rocks

concussion when not in technical use, often suggests the shattering, disrupting, or weakening effects of a collision, explosion, or blow.

- bystanders felt the concussion of the blast

IMPACT Defined for English Language Learners

impact

verb

Definition of impact for English Language Learners

: to have a strong and often bad effect on (something or someone)
: to hit (something) with great force

impact

noun

Definition of impact for English Language Learners

: the act or force of one thing hitting another
: a powerful or major influence or effect

IMPACT Defined for Kids

impact

noun im·pact \ ˈim-ˌpakt \

Definition of impact for Students

1 : a striking of one body against another : collision

The meteor's impact left a crater.

2 : a strong effect

He warned of the economic impact.

impact

verb im·pact \ im-ˈpakt \

Definition of impact for Students

impacted; impacting

1 : to have a strong and often bad effect on

This change will impact all schools.

2 : to hit with great force

Learn More about impact

See words that rhyme with impact Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for impact Spanish Central: Translation of impact Nglish: Translation of impact for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of impact for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about impact

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impact

Definition of impact

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impact Synonyms

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IMPACT Defined for English Language Learners

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impact

Definition of impact for English Language Learners

IMPACT Defined for Kids

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