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

Trichloroethylene has been classified by EPA as a probable human carcinogen, although its primary effect is impairment of the central nervous system.

—Chemical & Engineering News

Persons 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

Studies show that roughly 11 percent of all kindergarteners have speech or language impairments …

—The Springfield (Massachusetts) Union-News

Examples of impairment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Wisconsin State Patrol trooper detected signs of impairment related to drug use, administered field sobriety tests and then arrested and transported him to a hospital for a legal blood draw, according to the release. —Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025

This assistance includes support for children with autism, blindness, deafness, emotional and developmental disabilities and students with orthopedic impairments. —K. Ward Cummings, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025

Police say Singh never hit the brakes before slamming into the traffic jam, citing toxicology tests that confirmed impairment. —Jasmine Baehr , Bill Melugin, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025

The chip converts this light into electrical signals, which in turn stimulate the retina and transmit visual information to the brain, allowing patients to perceive shapes and patterns once lost to vision impairment. —Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above