Impression

How to spell impression

10 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce impression

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does impression mean?

1. nounAn idea, feeling, or opinion formed in the mind without conscious reasoning.
2. nounA mark or imprint left on a surface by pressure.
3. nounAn imitation of a person's voice or manner done for entertainment.

Impression in a sentence

• The candidate made a strong impression during the interview.

• The dentist took an impression of my teeth before fitting the crown.

• The comedian did a hilarious impression of the prime minister.

• My first impression of the new manager was that she was approachable.

• The heavy box left a clear impression in the soft carpet.

• His impression of their old teacher had the whole room laughing.

Where does impression come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb imprimere, meaning 'to press into' or 'to stamp upon', formed from the prefix in- ('into') and premere ('to press'). The related noun impressio described the act of pressing one thing onto another, such as a seal pushed into soft wax. English took the word through Old French impression in the 1300s, when it referred quite literally to a mark left by pressure. From that physical sense the meaning broadened to the figurative marks left on the mind, that is, the ideas and feelings an experience presses upon us. The same press root sits inside everyday relatives such as 'express', 'compress', and 'printing press', and the double 's' that catches spellers comes straight from that press core, while the single 'p' reflects the Latin premere.

How the word is built

• im- (in, into)
• press (from Latin premere: to press)
• -ion (noun-forming suffix)