impermeability

impermeability — noun

1. the quality of being so tightly constructed or compact that liquids or gases can

1.nounC1
Definition

the quality of being so tightly constructed or compact that liquids or gases cannot pass through it

Example

The concrete wall's impermeability was tested under high water pressure for 24 hours.

passive: be tested under pressure for a duration

Jin's geology team studied clay's impermeability to stop pollutants from reaching the groundwater.

impermeability + to + noun (purpose: preventing contamination)

Common collocations
  • impermeability to water / gas / air / moisture
  • high / total / complete / full impermeability
  • impermeability of concrete / clay / rock / polymer / coating
Synonyms
  • imperviousness

    very similar; can also describe resistance to ideas or influence in figurative use

  • waterproofness

    informal and narrower — only applies to water, not gases

  • resistance

    broader term; does not specify that nothing passes through, only that it is difficult

Antonyms
  • permeability

    the ability of liquids or gases to pass through

  • porosity

    the presence of tiny holes that allow passage, especially in rocks and soils

Grammar Patterns

impermeability + to + [substance]

impermeability + of + [material]

Usage Note

Uncountable noun, almost exclusively used in formal, scientific, or technical writing rather than everyday conversation. The substance that cannot pass through is introduced with the preposition 'to': impermeability to water, impermeability to gas.

Common Mistakes

impermeability for water
impermeability to water
Use 'to', not 'for', after 'impermeability'.
This raincoat has impermeability.
This raincoat is impermeable.
In everyday contexts, the adjective 'impermeable' is more natural than the noun.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Impermeability, imperviousness, waterproofness, and resistance all relate to blocking the passage of substances, but they differ in scope and register. Impermeability is the most precise scientific term — it means that nothing (liquid or gas) can pass through at all. Imperviousness is nearly synonymous but is also used figuratively (e.g. 'impervious to criticism'). Waterproofness is an everyday word limited to water resistance in consumer products like jackets or tents; it does not cover gases. Resistance is the broadest term and implies difficulty rather than total blockage — a material can have high water resistance without being fully impermeable. In a geology report, one would write 'the clay layer's impermeability prevents contamination'; in a product review, 'the jacket's waterproofness is excellent'; in a budget discussion, 'the company's resistance to change' would use the figurative sense of resistance.

imperviousnesswaterproofnessresistance ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • achieve impermeability
  • provide impermeability
  • test impermeability
  • ensure impermeability

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'impermeabilis' — 'in-' (not) + 'permeabilis' (that can be passed through), from 'permeare' (to pass through). The word entered English from French in the mid-1600s, first appearing in scientific writings about the properties of materials.