impediment noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

Definition of impediment noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

impediment

noun
 
/ɪmˈpedɪmənt/
 
/ɪmˈpedɪmənt/
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  1. impediment (to something) (formal) something that delays or stops the progress of something synonym obstacle
    • The level of inflation is a serious impediment to economic recovery.
    • Their boycott of the talks constitutes a serious impediment to peace negotiations.
    • There are no legal impediments to their appealing against the decision.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • great
    • major
    • serious
    verb + impediment
    • be
    • constitute
    • provide
    preposition
    • impediment to
    See full entry
  2. (becoming old-fashioned) a problem, for example a stammer, that makes it more difficult for somebody to speak, hear, etc. It is becoming more common to say that somebody has a speech disorder or speech impairment rather than a speech impediment.
    • a speech impediment
    • a sight/hearing impediment
  3. Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin impedimentum, from impedire ‘shackle the feet of’, based on pes, ped- ‘foot’.
See impediment in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee impediment in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
influence
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