Impedimentum

Impedimentum is a neuter noun in classical Latin, meaning hindrance, obstacle, impediment, or burden. It derives from the verb impedire, “to hinder” or “to obstruct,” and is the source of the English word impediment as well as related terms. In Latin grammar, impedimentum is a second-declension noun; singular forms are impedimentum, impedimenti, impedimento, impedimentum, impedimento, impedimento, and the plural impedimenta, impedimentorum, impedimentis, impedimenta, impedimentis.

In classical usage, impedimentum denotes any hindrance or obstacle, whether physical or figurative. In military contexts, the plural impedimenta referred to baggage and equipment that could slow a march or obstruct advance; more generally, an impediment could be anything that obstructs progress or action.

In legal and ecclesiastical contexts, impedimentum takes on a more specific sense. In medieval and canon law, impediments to marriage—canonical impediments—prevented a marriage from being valid or permissible. Examples include certain familial relationships, existing bonds, or other disqualifications recognized by church law. The concept persists in modern church discourse as “impediments to marriage” or “canonical impediments.”

In modern English, impediment is used to mean any hindrance, with the compound term speech impediment illustrating a disorder that affects speech. The Latin term remains primarily of historical or linguistic interest, but its descendants appear in legal, religious, and everyday vocabulary.