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Preclude vs Impede - What's the difference?

preclude | impede |

As verbs the difference between preclude and impede

is that preclude is remove the possibility of; rule out; prevent or exclude; to make impossible while impede is to get in the way of; to hinder.

preclude

English

Alternative forms

* (obsolete)

Verb

(preclud)
  • Remove the possibility of; (l); prevent or exclude; to make (l).
  • It has been raining for days, but that doesn’t preclude the possibility that the skies will clear by this afternoon!
  • * {{quote-web
  • , date = 2013-08-09 , author = Douglas Main , title = Israel Outlaws Water Fluoridation , site = livescience , url = http://www.livescience.com/38796-israel-outlaws-water-fluoridation.html , accessdate = 2013-09-30 }}
    Israel's decision to ban fluoridation follows a vote to preclude the practice in Portland, Ore., and Wichita, Kan. It was also recently overturned in Hamilton, the fourth most populous city in New Zealand.

    Derived terms

    * precludable * preclusion * preclusive * preclusively

    impede

    English

    Verb

    (imped)
  • to get in the way of; to hinder
  • Synonyms

    * See also

    Antonyms

    * assist, help * expede (obsolete) * expedite