impact

== English == === Etymology === Attested since the 17th century, from Latin impāctus. === Pronunciation === (noun): enPR: imʹpăkt, IPA(key): /ˈɪmpækt/ (verb): enPR: im-păktʹ, IPA(key): /ɪmˈpækt/ Rhymes: -ækt === Noun === impact (countable and uncountable, plural impacts) The striking of one body against another; collision. The force or energy of a collision of two objects. (chiefly medicine) A forced impinging. (figurative, proscribed) A significant or strong influence or effect. ==== Usage notes ==== The adposition generally used with "impact" is "on" (such as in last example in section above) There are some who find the figurative noun sense problematic, with a low threshold for labeling such use as overuse (cliché). In defensive editing, the solution is to replace the figurative noun sense with effect and the verb sense with affect, which nearly always produces an acceptable result. (Rarely, a phrase such as "the impact of late effects" is better stetted to avoid "the effect of [...] effects".) ==== Synonyms ==== ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== impinge ==== Collocations ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === impact (third-person singular simple present impacts, present participle impacting, simple past and past participle impacted) (transitive) To collide or strike, the act of impinging. (transitive) To compress; to compact; to press into something or pack together. (transitive, figurative, proscribed) To significantly or strongly influence or affect; to have an impact on. (transitive, rare) To stamp or impress onto something. ==== Usage notes ==== Although most verbification instances in English draw no prescriptive attention, some authorities object to the verb sense of impact meaning "to significantly or strongly influence or affect; to have an impact on". To avoid controversy, one can replace the verb sense with affect, which nearly always produces an acceptable result. See also the usage note for the noun sense. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== == Dutch == === Etymology === Borrowed from English impact. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈɪm.pɛkt/, /ˈɪm.pɑkt/ Hyphenation: im‧pact === Noun === impact m (plural impacts, no diminutive) impact (strong influence or effect) Synonyms: invloed, effect ==== Derived terms ==== == French == === Etymology === From Latin, see above. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ɛ̃.pakt/ === Noun === impact m (plural impacts) (literally or figuratively) impact === Further reading === “impact”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == Romanian == === Etymology === Borrowed from French impact, from Latin impactus. === Noun === impact n (plural impacturi) impact ==== Declension ====