impairment

(im-par′mĕnt)

To hear audio pronunciation of this topic, purchase a subscription or log in.

[Fr. empeirer fr L. (im)pejorare, to make worse]
Any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological, or anatomical structure or function. Impairments represent a deviation from generally accepted benchmarks in biomedical or psychosocial functioning.

There's more to see -- the rest of this topic is available only to subscribers.