impacted

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "impacted" is a correct and usable word in written English.
You can use it to refer to a person, group, or thing influencing something else in a significant way, or to describe something that has been affected in a negative or positive way. Example sentence: "The new safety protocols impacted the workflow of the entire department."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"The results clearly demonstrate that low-income families with children are the main family group to be adversely impacted by policy changes since the last election.

The Guardian

While those abuses impacted people overseas, Homan Square – said to house military-style vehicles, interrogation cells and even a cage – trains its focus on Americans, most often poor, black and brown.

The Guardian

The agency found small business have limited awareness of gender equality and pay equity and was impacted more acutely than big business by things such as parental leave costs and also faced challenges when it came to implementing flexible work arrangements.

The Guardian

She says she is alive to cultural concerns but the service is impacted by funding restraints.

The Guardian

"Accepting the limitations of NHS resources, and the inter-dependencies of care which make providing an equitable service a challenge of viability as well as one of principle, every effort should be made to ensure that the standard of care a patient receives, their experience of it and the outcome as a result, are not impacted by the day of the week".

The Guardian

He added: "I'm deeply sorry for the delays, upset and upheaval caused today to passengers impacted by our overrunning improvement work outside King's Cross.

The Guardian - Business

News Corp Australia declined to say by how much the shift to mobile platforms had impacted the number of readers of mX.

The Guardian

"That very choice has really impacted the markets, and I believe is enabling these deficits to continue," he says.

The Guardian - Business

Pacific Rubiales refused to answer questions on the Matsés's declared preparedness to fight, opposition from other indigenous peoples on the Brazilian side, and whether it accepts IPVI would be impacted by operations in Lot 135.

The Guardian

"It's not just business owners who are being impacted," Fowler said.

The Guardian

Many [of Bolivia's protected areas] have already been impacted by mining, with impunity, and now [this new law] is their final sentence".

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

While "impacted" is acceptable, consider using "affected" instead, especially in general writing, as it is often perceived as less jargonistic.

Common error

Avoid using "impacted" when a simpler word like "affected" or "influenced" would suffice. Overusing "impacted" can make your writing sound unnecessarily complex and less clear.

Linguistic Context

The word "impacted" primarily functions as the past participle of the verb "impact". According to Ludwig AI, it indicates that something has been significantly influenced or affected. The provided examples demonstrate its use in various contexts, often to describe the result of a particular event or decision.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

39%

Science

31%

Formal & Business

16%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

9%

Wiki

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "impacted" is a grammatically correct and frequently used word, especially within news, scientific, and formal business contexts. While acceptable, Ludwig AI suggests that it's crucial to consider context and audience when choosing between "impacted" and its simpler synonym, "affected". Overusing "impacted" can lead to writing that feels unnecessarily complex. Predominantly, "impacted" serves to convey that something has been influenced or affected, with its usage spanning across various authoritative sources like The Guardian and The Economist. When in doubt, ensure clarity and precision in your writing by selecting the term that best suits the situation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

affected

Replaces "impacted" with a more common and generally preferred synonym, avoiding potential jargon criticisms.

influenced

Focuses on the idea of having an influence, which is a core meaning of "impacted".

affected negatively

Specifies the direction of the impact, indicating an adverse effect.

had an effect on

Uses a more descriptive phrase instead of a single verb, emphasizing the resulting effect.

was affected by

Changes the sentence structure to passive voice, highlighting what received the impact.

was influenced by

Similar to "influenced", but in passive voice.

experienced an impact

Uses a noun form of "impact", changing the sentence structure.

underwent changes due to

Indicates a change as a result of something, similar to being impacted.

was altered by

Suggests a change or modification due to an external force.

was shaped by

Implies that something was molded or influenced significantly by something else.

FAQs

How can I use "impacted" in a sentence?

You can use "impacted" to describe something that has been affected by something else, such as, "The company's profits were "impacted" by the economic downturn."

What's a good alternative to "impacted"?

A good alternative to "impacted" is "affected", which carries a similar meaning but is often considered less formal. For example, "The community was severely "affected" by the hurricane."

Is "impacted on" grammatically correct?

While some usage guides discourage "impacted on", it is sometimes used. However, it is generally recommended to use "affected" or "had an impact on" instead for clarity and wider acceptance.

Which is correct, "impacted" or "affected"?

Both "impacted" and "affected" can be correct, but "affected" is often preferred in general usage as it is considered less jargonistic. "Impacted" is often used in more formal or technical contexts.