impact

impact

The literal meaning of the noun is ‘the action of one body coming forcibly into contact with another’, and refers to physical collision. The figurative meaning ‘strong effect or influence’ is justifiable when there is a corresponding figurative notion of a collision (the impact of Christianity on social justice), but it is questionable when the meaning is no more than ‘effect, impression’ (the impact of new policing methods on the crime figures). The verb, which is pronounced with the stress on the second syllable, is older than the noun in its physical meaning (‘press closely into or in something’). Intransitive uses began to appear in the 20c, and in 1962 it was reported in a work called Basic Astronautics that a Soviet space rocket had impacted onto the Moon's surface. About the same time figurative uses began to proliferate, corresponding to the figurative meaning of the noun, and these remain common, especially in journalism:

• The Magazine…is not the place for consideration of national or international events except in so far as they impact on Oxford —Oxford Magazine, 1956

• Radiographers are a dedicated and highly professional group of workers and regret any action which impacts on patient care —Manchester Evening News, 2004.

There has been continued opposition to these uses, both in Britain and in America. When there is so much hostility, it is prudent to use more familiar synonyms, such as effect, influence, and impression for the noun and affect, influence, or have an effect on (or, more specifically, endanger, threaten, risk, etc., when the consequences are unfavourable) for the verb.