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

Records show that 22-year-old Richard Hawkins is charged with one count of failing to stop at a scene resulting in serious impairment and one count of operating while license suspended causing serious injury. — Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Hormone therapy should not be prescribed specifically as a treatment for cognitive impairment or as a way to prevent dementia, Rozenfeld says. — Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 19 Aug. 2026

Geriatric ERs also try to counter sensory impairment, another contributor to delirium, by distributing reading glasses and sound-amplifying devices. — Paula Span, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026

Dwyer advocates for a view of neurodiversity that has room for both social factors and individual impairments that may be addressed with treatment, as well as for the idea that neurodivergences can come with strengths. — Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above