What does impediment mean?
An impediment is a noun for anything that makes progress, action, or achievement harder. It may describe a physical obstruction, such as a locked gate, or an abstract obstacle, such as inadequate funding, a language barrier, or a legal restriction. The word is especially common in formal contexts, where writers discuss barriers to development, trade, travel, or reform. Its slightly bookish tone gives it more weight than the plainer word obstacle, while in legal writing it has the more specialized sense of a circumstance that prevents a marriage from being validly contracted. Because an impediment is normally something that can be identified and addressed, the noun works naturally with verbs such as overcome, remove, and address. Although English also has the related verb impede, impediment specifically names the hindrance itself. Together, these forms make the word useful when a problem is not merely an annoyance but a concrete barrier standing between people and an intended result.
nounAn obstacle that prevents or hinders progress, action, or achievement. In legal usage, it is a circumstance that prevents a marriage from being validly contracted.
- Something that prevents, obstructs, or makes more difficult an action, process, or desired outcome.
- In law and canon law, a circumstance that prevents a marriage from being validly contracted.
"Poor broadband remains a serious impediment to remote work in rural areas."
"Poor broadband remains a serious impediment to remote work in rural areas."
"Under canon law, a prior marriage may be regarded as an impediment."
The plural is standard when referring to multiple obstacles or legal impediments.
"The project overcame several financial impediments before it was completed."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does impediment come from?
The English noun entered use in the early 17th century, borrowed from Latin impedīmentum, meaning a hindrance or means of hindering. That Latin noun was formed from impedīre, “to hinder,” which is commonly analyzed as involving in- and a root meaning “foot,” reflecting the sense of slowing or stopping someone's movement. English developed related forms such as impede and impedimental, while French empêchement, Spanish impedimento, and Italian impedimento are Romance cognates from the same Latin source.
Related word forms
How impediment is actually used
The word has a formal or bookish register and is especially common in journalism, academic writing, law, and official statements. It may describe either a physical obstruction or an abstract obstacle. Its relatively abstract tone gives it more seriousness than words such as snag, while it is more flexible and less specialized than legal terminology.
Easily confused with impediment
Impede is a verb meaning to make progress more difficult, whereas impediment is a noun naming the obstacle or hindrance involved.
A pediment is the ornamental triangular feature above a doorway or classical building, while an impediment is an obstacle to progress or action.