I. im ‧ pact 1 S3 W2 AC /ˈɪmpækt/ BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: past participle of impingere ; ⇨ ↑ impinge ]
1 . [countable] the effect or influence that an event, situation etc has on someone or something
impact on/upon
We need to assess the impact on climate change.
major/significant/profound etc impact
Higher mortgage rates have already had a major impact on spending.
impact of
an international meeting to consider the environmental impacts of global warming
► Do not say ‘cause an impact’ on something. Say have an impact on something.
2 . [uncountable and countable] the force of one object hitting another:
The force of the impact knocked the breath out of her.
3 . on impact at the moment when one thing hits another:
The plane’s wing was damaged on impact.
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COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ big/great
Winning this competition could have a big impact on my life.
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His impact was greater than that of the Beatles.
▪ huge/enormous/massive
Industry has a huge impact on the environment we live in.
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The impact has been enormous on people's daily lives.
▪ small
New technologies have only had a small impact on the overall level of employment.
▪ minimal/negligible (=very small and not important)
The change in government had a minimal impact in the rural areas of the country.
▪ positive (=having a good effect)
Cuts in federal spending should have a positive impact on America’s economic future.
▪ negative/damaging (=having a bad effect)
The expansion of the airport would have a negative impact on the environment.
▪ disastrous (=a very bad effect)
His leg injury had a disastrous impact on his career as a footballer.
▪ a major/significant impact (=important)
The war had a major impact on French domestic politics.
▪ a profound impact (=very important)
Population growth has a profound impact on world food demand.
▪ an adverse impact formal (=a bad effect)
The loss of forests has had an adverse impact on bird populations.
▪ a real impact informal (=a big impact)
The film made a real impact on cinema audiences.
▪ a lasting impact (=one that lasts for a long time)
The arrival of the railways made a lasting impact on many sectors of the economy.
▪ a long-term impact
Scientists are calculating the long-term impact of the floods.
▪ a short-term/immediate impact
A military attack may only have a short-term impact on terrorist activity.
▪ an emotional/psychological impact
Their mother’s death had a huge emotional impact on the children.
▪ an economic impact
It is difficult to measure the economic impact of the war.
▪ an environmental impact
The environmental impact of the construction project is being investigated.
▪ the full impact of something
South Wales felt the full impact of the recession.
▪ the potential/likely impact
He’s studying the potential impact of climate change.
■ verbs
▪ have an impact
New technology has had a massive impact on our lives.
▪ make an impact
The product quickly made an impact on the market.
▪ feel the impact of something
The industry has felt the impact of rising fuel prices.
▪ reduce/lessen/soften the impact of something (=make it less severe or unpleasant)
The chemical industry is looking at ways to reduce its impact on the environment.
▪ lose impact (=have less effect)
The picture loses impact when it is reduced in size.
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THESAURUS
▪ effect a change that is caused by an event, action etc:
The people in this area are still suffering from the effects of the famine.
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The treatment had little or no effect.
▪ impact an effect that happens as a result of something important, especially a big and permanent effect:
Changes in technology have had a massive impact on the way we work.
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the environmental impact of industrial activity
▪ influence the effect that something has on people’s opinions or behaviour, or on how something develops:
American television has had a big influence on popular culture in the west.
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His ideas had a lot of influence at the time.
▪ side effect an unwanted and unplanned effect that something has – used especially about drugs and medical treatment:
Common side effects of the drug may include headaches and muscle pains.
▪ after-effects British English , aftereffects American English bad effects that continue for a long time after the thing that caused them:
A traumatic experience can have severe psychological after-effects.
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the after-effects of the war
▪ repercussions /ˌriːpəˈkʌʃ ə ns $ -pər-// the effects that happen later as a result of an event or decision, especially a range of effects that continue for a long time:
The scandal could have serious repercussions for her career.
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The judge’s decision is likely to have important repercussions for future cases of this kind.
▪ a knock-on effect British English used when something has an effect on something, which then has an effect on something else:
Higher oil prices have a knock-on effect on other fuels.
▪ footprint the effect that human activities have on the environment, caused by using up its natural resources, pollution, waste etc:
Businesses all over the world must attempt to reduce their environmental footprint.
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The house has a low carbon footprint (=it uses very little energy from carbon and therefore is good for the environment) .
II. im ‧ pact 2 AC /ɪmˈpækt/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive and transitive] especially American English
to have an important or noticeable effect on someone or something
impact on/upon
The Food Safety Act will progressively impact on the way food businesses operate.