impermeable

adjective

im·​per·​me·​able (ˌ)im-ˈpər-mē-ə-bəl 

: not permitting passage (as of a fluid) through its substance

broadly : impervious

impermeability

(ˌ)im-ˌpər-mē-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

Synonyms

• impassable
• impassible
• impenetrable
• impervious
• impregnable

Examples of impermeable in a Sentence

an impermeable layer of rock

a fabric impermeable to moisture

Recent Examples on the Web

The success came at a moment when country music was especially rife with bros—polished, spiritually impermeable acts such as Florida Georgia Line and Jason Aldean, who wore skinny jeans and were preternaturally focussed on pickup trucks and girls. —Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023

The state’s most powerful Democrat, Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock, even endorsed Bush for president in 2000, burnishing the Republican’s bipartisan credentials in a way that’s unimaginable in today’s age of impermeable partisanship. —Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023

Officials said the debris would be put into dumpsters lined with impermeable plastic, then wrapped up and sealed with glue. —Audrey McAvoy The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2023

So instead of impermeable surfaces like concrete, more green spaces allow rain to soak into the ground, ideally into aquifers for withdrawal in times of need. —WIRED, 29 Sep. 2023

Waterproof boots should technically be completely impermeable, meaning no water or moisture can pass through the material. —Theresa Holland, Travel + Leisure, 16 Aug. 2023

In parts of the District, for example, the website of the Department of Energy and Environment promises rebates of $10 a square foot for installing permeable pavers on surfaces that were previously impermeable. —Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 7 July 2023

More of that funding is coming, too: a 2018 L.A. County ballot measure placed a small tax on impermeable surfaces that prevent proper drainage. —Curbed, 1 Feb. 2023

The company and the EPA arrived at a solution that would involve building a giant retaining pond surrounded by impermeable barriers designed to keep the waste in a single location. —Emma Penrod, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Aug. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Late Latin impermeabilis, from Latin in- + Late Latin permeabilis permeable

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

impermeable

adjective

im·​per·​me·​able (ˈ)im-ˈpər-mē-ə-bəl 

: not permitting passage (as of a fluid) through the material of which it is made

impermeability

(ˌ)im-ˌpər-mē-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

Medical Definition

impermeable

adjective

im·​per·​me·​able (ˈ)im-ˈpər-mē-ə-bəl 

: not permitting passage (as of a fluid) through its substance

the plasma membrane of a red blood cell is relatively impermeable to sodium and calcium ions

impermeability

(ˌ)im-ˌpər-mē-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

plural impermeabilities