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impact

Syllabification: (im·pact)
Translate impact | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of impact

noun

Pronunciation: /ˈimˌpakt/
  • the action of one object coming forcibly into contact with another:there was the sound of a third impact bullets that expand and cause devastating injury on impact
  • the effect or influence of one person, thing, or action, on another:our regional measures have had a significant impact on unemployment

verb

Pronunciation: /imˈpakt/
[no object]
  • 1come into forcible contact with another object:the shell impacted twenty yards away
  • [with object] chiefly North American come into forcible contact with:an asteroid impacted the earth some 60 million years ago
  • [with object] press firmly:the animals‘ feet do not impact and damage the soil as cows’ hooves do
  • 2 (impact on) have a strong effect on someone or something:high interest rates have impacted on retail spending [with object]:the move is not expected to impact the company’s employees

Origin:

early 17th century (as a verb in the sense 'press closely, fix firmly'): from Latin impact- 'driven in', from the verb impingere (see impinge)

The phrasal verb impact on, as in when produce is lost, it always impacts on the bottom line, has been in the language since the 1960s. Many people disapprove of it despite its relative frequency, saying that make an impact on or other equivalent wordings should be used instead. New formations of verbs from nouns (as in the case of impact) are often regarded as somehow inferior.

impact in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of impact in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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