im-PINJ

Definition

(verb) To have a strong effect on something; to encroach or trespass on something, especially rights or freedom.

Example

The new surveillance policy was challenged in court on the grounds that it impinged on the privacy rights of ordinary citizens.

Word Origin

From Latin impingere, meaning “to drive into or strike against” — formed from in- (into) + pangere (to fix, fasten, or drive in). The root pangere also gives us impact and impacted — all carrying the sense of something being forcefully driven into something else. The word entered English in the 16th century with the physical sense of collision before evolving into its broader modern meaning of encroachment or infringement.