as in disability
a condition in which a part of your body or mind is damaged and does not work well
Her mother had a hearing impairment that had become worse with age.
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Recent Examples of impairment
There are communities of people with visual impairments, or other disabilities.
—
Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
The small South End academy is a therapeutic public day school serving students with a primary disability of emotional impairment who need a high level of support.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 4 June 2026
Accessibility for those with mobility impairments Not recommended for people with disabilities, including because of the arrival by amphibious plane, as well as the many uneven stone steps and sandy trails on the islands.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
There were no signs of impairment, and there were no charges filed against the truck driver as of Wednesday, June 3, a spokesperson for the Fort Wayne Police Department confirms to PEOPLE.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for impairment
Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
The small South End academy is a therapeutic public day school serving students with a primary disability of emotional impairment who need a high level of support.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 4 June 2026
Accessibility for those with mobility impairments Not recommended for people with disabilities, including because of the arrival by amphibious plane, as well as the many uneven stone steps and sandy trails on the islands.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
There were no signs of impairment, and there were no charges filed against the truck driver as of Wednesday, June 3, a spokesperson for the Fort Wayne Police Department confirms to PEOPLE.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for impairment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impairment
Noun
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As an example, the suit pointed out that the ADA requires wheelchair-accessible spaces be dispersed throughout a venue so that people with disabilities may choose seating in a variety of locations comparable to those available to non-disabled attendees.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
8 June 2026
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That's because federal law generally protects Social Security retirement, disability and survivor benefits from garnishment by most private creditors.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Noun
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Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy appeared to escape serious injury after being involved in a violent collision during a 3-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Thursday.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2026
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Some big names won't be making the trip to North America for the World Cup due to injury problems.—
Alex Connor,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
Noun
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These can cause severe scarring or disablement and may lead to amputations.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
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Playing Arnie, the younger brother to Gilbert (Johnny Depp), DiCaprio doesn’t permit his character to be a simple, adorable variation on disablement.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The one that struck Elena’s building caused damage to multiple floors but no serious casualties.—
Zahra Ullah,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
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The truth is that squirrels are a common rodent, and a little bit of damage caused by these critters might not be that big of a deal, and not worth the hassle of figuring out a bunch of different deterrents.—
Molly Burford,
Southern Living,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impairment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impairment. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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