impairment C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas US /ɪmˈpɛrmənt/ UK /ɪmˈpeəmənt/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun a weakening or damaging of a function, faculty, or value The accident left him with a permanent impairment of his hearing. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · a weakening or damaging of... weakeningdamagedeteriorationdisabilityhandicapdeficiency ↔ Opposites enhancementimprovementstrengthening Word family Related forms impairimpaired Etymology AI details From impair (from Old French empeirier, 'to make worse', from Late Latin impejorare, from in- + pejor 'worse') + the noun suffix -ment. empeirier Old French pejor Latin View etymology graph -> Topics Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # impairment **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ɪmˈpɛrmənt/ **IPA (UK):** /ɪmˈpeəmənt/ ## Meanings 1. a weakening or damaging of a function, faculty, or value ## Examples - The accident left him with a permanent impairment of his hearing. ## Synonyms - weakening - damage - deterioration - disability - handicap - deficiency ## Antonyms - enhancement - improvement - strengthening ## Related Forms - impair - impaired ## Roots and Affixes - Root: empeirier - Root: pejor ## Etymology From impair (from Old French empeirier, 'to make worse', from Late Latin impejorare, from in- + pejor 'worse') + the noun suffix -ment. ## AI Etymology Impairment comes from impair (from Old French empeirier, 'to make worse', from Late Latin impejorare, from in- + pejor 'worse') + the noun suffix -ment. The suffix is part of the word's derivational shape, marking the final grammatical or semantic role while the base supplies the central meaning. As a noun, it denotes "a weakening or damaging of a function, faculty, or value", keeping the historical idea close to its dictionary sense. Relevant historical forms include Old French empeirier and Latin pejor. Related words include impair, impaired. ## Topics - Abstract Ideas - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown