Unimpaired

Unimpaired is an adjective meaning not damaged, hindered, or diminished in function. It is used to describe people, senses, faculties, or systems that are operating without impairment, or objects that are not damaged. In general, unimpaired denotes a relative baseline of normal function rather than an absolute ideal.

In medical and psychological contexts, clinicians may document that memory, attention, vision, hearing, motor function, or coordination is unimpaired when test results fall within established normal ranges. The term is relative to context and reference standards and may differ across populations or assessment tools.

In law and public policy, unimpaired is used in phrases such as unimpaired driving to denote operation of a vehicle without influence from alcohol or drugs. Driving under the influence is distinct from impaired driving; but impairment can also result from fatigue, medications, illness, or other substances. The term helps contrast a baseline state with impairment.

In everyday language, unimpaired contrasts with impaired and can describe mental capacity, sensory perception, or physical function. It is not a precise clinical term outside its context and does not guarantee perfection.

See also impairment, cognitive impairment, substance use, driving under the influence.