n.
- Something that impedes; a hindrance or obstruction. See synonyms at obstacle.
- An organic defect preventing clear articulation: a speech impediment.
- Law. Something that obstructs the making of a legal contract.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin impedīmentum, from impedīre, to impede. See impede.]
impedimental im·ped'i·men'tal (-mĕn'tl) or im·ped'i·men'ta·ry (-mĕn'tə-rē) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
