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Fault vs Impediment - What's the difference?

fault | impediment |

As nouns the difference between fault and impediment

is that fault is a defect; something that detracts from perfection while impediment is a hindrance; that which impedes or hinders progress.

As a verb fault

is to criticize, blame or find fault with something or someone.

fault

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A defect; something that detracts from perfection.
  • * Shakespeare
    • As patches set upon a little breach / Discredit more in hiding of the fault .
  • A mistake or error.
    • No!. This is my fault, not yours
  • A weakness of character; a failing.
    • For all her faults , she's a good person at heart.
  • A minor offense.
  • Blame; the responsibility for a mistake.
    • The fault lies with you.
  • (seismology) A fracture in a rock formation causing a discontinuity.
  • (mining) In coal seams, coal rendered worthless by impurities in the seam.
    • slate fault''', dirt '''fault , etc.
    (Raymond)
  • (tennis) An illegal serve.
  • (electrical) An abnormal connection in a circuit.
  • (obsolete) want; lack
  • * Shakespeare
    • one, it pleases me, for fault of a better, to call my friend
  • (hunting) A lost scent; act of losing the scent.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Ceasing their clamorous cry till they have singled, / With much ado, the cold fault clearly out.

    Derived terms

    * at fault * double fault * to a fault

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To criticize, blame or find fault with something or someone.
  • * Traditional song
    • For that I will not fault thee / But for humbleness exalt thee.
  • (geology) To fracture.
  • To commit a mistake or error.
  • (computing) To undergo a page fault.
  • * 2002 , Æleen Frisch, Essential system administration
    • When a page is read in, a few pages surrounding the faulted page are typically loaded as well in the same I/O operation in an effort to head off future page faults.

    impediment

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A hindrance; that which impedes or hinders progress.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Thus far into the bowels of the land / Have we marched on without impediment .
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year=1818 , author=Mary Shelley , title=Frankenstein , chapter=2 citation , passage=I had gazed upon the fortifications and impediments that seemed to keep human beings from entering the citadel of nature, and rashly and ignorantly I had repined.}}
    Working in a noisy factory left him with a slight hearing impediment .
  • (chiefly, in the plural) Baggage, especially that of an army; impedimenta

    • Synonyms

    * hindrance * obstruction * obstacle * See also

    Related terms

    * (l)

    References

    *