impermeable

adjective

im·​per·​me·​able (ˌ)im-ˈpər-mē-ə-bəl How to pronounce impermeable (audio)
: not permitting passage (as of a fluid) through its substance
broadly : impervious

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 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impermeable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of impermeable was in 1661

Dictionary Entries Near impermeable

Cite this Entry

“Impermeable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impermeable. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

impermeable

adjective
im·​per·​me·​able (ˈ)im-ˈpər-mē-ə-bəl How to pronounce impermeable (audio)
: not permitting passage (as of a fluid) through the material of which it is made

Medical Definition

impermeable

adjective
im·​per·​me·​able (ˈ)im-ˈpər-mē-ə-bəl How to pronounce impermeable (audio)
: 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 noun
plural impermeabilities

More from Merriam-Webster on impermeable

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