impedance

noun

im·​ped·​ance im-ˈpē-dᵊn(t)s 

: something that impedes : hindrance: such as

a

: the apparent opposition in an electrical circuit to the flow of an alternating current that is analogous to the actual electrical resistance to a direct current and that is the ratio of effective electromotive force to the effective current

b

: the ratio of the pressure to the volume displacement at a given surface in a sound-transmitting medium

Examples of impedance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Near the end of the rehabilitation project, there will be some pavement patching work at the north end near the junction of the Kennedy impedance. —Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2025

Through bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), a common non-invasive method of measuring the body's fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM) and total body water (TBW), the researchers found that AuNPs were also able to target the right lipid cells. —New Atlas, 10 Feb. 2025

With a new impedance of 30Ω, the headphones can plug into a wide range of playback devices, without compromising sound quality. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025

Adaptive impedance Max supported sampling: PCM: Up to 96kHz/16-bit. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for impedance

• credence

Medical Definition

impedance

noun

im·​ped·​ance im-ˈpēd-ᵊn(t)s 

1

: the apparent opposition in an electrical circuit to the flow of an alternating current that is analogous to the actual electrical resistance to a direct current and that is the ratio of effective electromotive force to the effective current

2

: the ratio of the pressure to the volume displacement at a given surface in a sound-transmitting medium

3

: opposition to blood flow in the circulatory system