impervious
UK[ɪmˈpɜːviəs]US[ɪmˈpɜːrviəs]
adj
not allowing fluid to pass through
adj
not affected or influenced by something
Morpheme Breakdown
im
pervious
im
not
pervious
allowing passage
Etymology
the word 'impervious' is built from the latin negative prefix 'in-' (which assimilates to 'im-' before 'p') and the adjective 'pervius', meaning 'passable' or 'having a way through'. 'pervius' itself derives from 'per' (through) and 'via' (road, way). the literal sense of 'having no way through' evolved from describing physical materials that water cannot penetrate to the modern metaphorical meaning of being unaffected by criticism, arguments, or external influences. this semantic shift illustrates how a concrete concept of physical blockage was extended to describe psychological or abstract resilience.
Analysis
Structure: im (not) + pervious (allowing passage)
im- (Latin, a prefix meaning 'not'); pervious (from Latin 'pervius', meaning 'allowing passage through', from 'per-' (through) + 'via' (way))
Examples
the coat is made from a material impervious to moisture.
he remained impervious to all criticism of his methods.
the ancient seal was impervious to the elements for centuries.