In its publications, the MLA follows various usage experts who recommend restricting the use of impact as a verb to only one of the several definitions you may find in a dictionary: “to strike forcefully” (“Impact”). A car may impact another car in a collision, for example. But we avoid using impact as a verb when the meaning is “to affect” or “to influence.” We would not write the following sentences:
Slow job growth impacts the overall economic outlook.
Changing social norms can impact language: some individuals have adopted the singular they because they wish to avoid gendered pronouns such as he and she.
In the examples above, other verbs that fit the meaning can easily be substituted:
Slow job growth affects the overall economic outlook.
Changing social norms can influence language: some individuals have adopted the singular they because they wish to avoid gendered pronouns such as he and she.
Work Cited
“Impact, Vb.” Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-Webster.com/dictionary/
impact.
6 Comments
Patrick Chomnycky 08 April 2020 AT 03:04 PM
I agree completely with your analysis of the misuse of 'impact' as a verb. Simple laziness has made it the 'de-fault' verb.
One can have an impacted molar; most everything else is 'affected' or 'influenced'.
Neil Macowan 30 June 2021 AT 01:06 PM
This advice has proven useful to me. I have seen with dismay on other sites that there is a drift towards accepting "impact" as a verb in written papers, which I do my best to resist.
Di 28 March 2022 AT 12:03 AM
Why do you think the verb form of impact should not e used? I think this is unfair… Linguistically speaking, I would say that in formal scientific language it can definitely be used. Maybe it doesn’t sound like an every-day word, but that what differentiates conversational language and scientific one
Michael Harvey 19 September 2023 AT 08:09 PM
Thank you. The misuse of the word "impact" makes me crazy.
Frank Muse 19 February 2024 AT 12:02 PM
As it's considered to be bad form in writing, I think it's even more awkward to use the word "impact" in everyday conversation. In a training manual for initiating dialogue with juvenile offenders, the question suggested is "how has this 'impacted' your ____?" I suspect this kind of language does more to inhibit than help to open up a conversation with anyone--let alone, any teenager.
Lynn Michell 22 March 2025 AT 01:03 PM
An impact is a train crash, a car crash, a hitting hard of one object against the other. When used as a verb, substituted for 'affected', it suggest a sudden, hard event, but that's not how it's used. 'Impacted' is used for ongoing processes and events that take place over time. It drives me nuts as well!
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