Origin: Latin suffix -ance
Impedance has 2 different meanings across 1 category:
a material's opposition to the flow of electric current; measured in ohms
"The engineer calculated that the cable's high impedance would significantly reduce the efficiency of the electric current flowing through it."
The act of impeding; that which impedes; a hindrance.
"The unexpected delay in approval acted as a significant impedance to the project's timely completion."
In plain English: Impedance is how much something resists an electrical current from flowing through it easily.
"The audio system sounded thin because the impedance mismatch between the amplifier and speakers was causing power loss."
Usage: In technical contexts, impedance specifically refers to the opposition to alternating current in electrical circuits, distinct from simple resistance. Avoid using this term casually to describe general obstacles or delays unless discussing electronics or physics.
The word impedance comes from the verb impede plus the suffix -ance. It was first coined in 1886 by the English physicist Oliver Heaviside to describe a specific electrical property.