Etimology
Attested since the 17th century, from Latin impāctus.
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.
Examples
The hatchet cut the wood on impact.
His spine had an impingement; L4 and L5 made impact, which caused numbness in his leg.
His friend's opinion had an impact on his decision.
Our choice of concrete will have a tremendous impact on the building's mechanical performance.
One way to reduce the environmental impact of meat eating is to make livestock more productive.
Related words
related terms
impinge
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.
Examples
When the hammer impacts the nail, it bends.
The footprints of birds do not impact the soil in the way those of dinosaurs do.
I can make the changes, but it will impact the schedule.
Ideas impacted on the mind.