impedes

Impedes is the third-person singular present tense of the verb impede. Its core meaning is to hinder, obstruct, or slow down progress, movement, or action. An impediment can be physical, such as terrain that slows travel, or abstract, such as bureaucratic delays or regulatory barriers. The term emphasizes slowing or delaying rather than complete prevention.

Etymology and related forms: Impede derives from Latin impedire, meaning to hinder or entangle, and is related to the noun impediment. In English, the form impede appears in various tenses, with impeded as the past tense and impediment as a related noun referring to a hindrance.

Usage notes: Impedes is used with a singular subject, as in "The weather impedes travel" or "Regulatory hurdles impede innovation." It is often chosen when the hampering effect is partial or gradual rather than absolute. In formal or legal contexts, the word may appear in phrases such as "impeding an investigation" or, more commonly, in related terms like obstruction or hindrance. Some contexts distinguish impediment as a specific type of obstacle or limitation.

See also: impediment, hindrance, obstruction, obstruction of justice, impediments to progress.

In summary, impedes conveys that a factor slows or obstructs progress or movement, without necessarily stopping it completely. Its nuance lies in partial hindrance rather than total blockage.