impart

impart — verb

1. to give someone facts, ideas, or abilities that you have, helping them to know o

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to give someone facts, ideas, or abilities that you have, helping them to know or do the same things

Example

Professor Okafor imparted his knowledge of plant biology to the first-year students.

impart + knowledge + to + [someone] — formal teaching pattern

The exhibition aims to impart an understanding of ancient Egyptian daily life to visitors.

impart + an understanding of + [topic]

Common collocations
  • impart knowledge
  • impart wisdom
  • impart information
  • impart skills
  • impart an understanding
  • impart a lesson
Synonyms
  • convey

    broader; can apply to feelings or messages through any medium, not just teaching

  • communicate

    more general and can be two-way; 'impart' is more one-directional from expert to learner

  • disclose

    implies revealing something private or secret, not sharing skills or wisdom

Antonyms
  • withhold

    to keep information or knowledge back on purpose

  • conceal

    to hide something, the opposite of sharing openly

Grammar Patterns

impart + something + to + someone

impart + that-clause

Usage Note

Frequently used in educational or mentoring contexts. The recipient is introduced with 'to' — the information is the direct object, not the person.

Common Mistakes

She imparted the students her knowledge.
She imparted her knowledge to the students.
the information is the direct object; the recipient follows 'to'.
He imparted me about the changes.
He imparted the news about the changes to me.
'impart' must have a direct object (the thing being shared), not just a person.

2. to add a certain mood, appearance, or flavour to something, changing its charact

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to add a certain mood, appearance, or flavour to something, changing its character in a subtle way

Example

The wooden furniture imparts a warm, rustic feel to the entire room.

impart + a [quality/feeling] + to + [something] — pattern for attributing character

Sade's calm voice imparted a sense of safety to the frightened children.

Common collocations
  • impart a sense of
  • impart a feeling of
  • impart flavour
  • impart warmth
  • impart character
Synonyms
  • confer

    even more formal; often used for status, rights, or honours rather than sensory qualities

  • lend

    less formal; e.g. 'the music lends a festive atmosphere' — interchangeable in many contexts

  • bestow

    very formal; implies a generous or honourable giving

Antonyms
  • remove

    to take away a quality or feeling

Grammar Patterns

impart + a [quality/feeling] + to + [something]

be imparted with + [quality]

Usage Note

Subject is typically a thing (design, ingredient, material) rather than a person. The quality imparted is usually sensory or atmospheric — warmth, calmness, sweetness, openness.

Common Mistakes

This paint imparts the wall a new look.
This paint imparts a new look to the wall.
same as sense 1: the quality is the direct object, and the recipient follows 'to'.

Word family

  • impartation
    nounC2
  • imparted
    adjectiveC1
  • imparting
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five words relate to making something known, but they differ in context and direction. Impart suggests a deliberate, one-directional transfer of knowledge or skill from someone with more to someone with less — a teacher imparting wisdom. Convey is broader, covering any medium or channel: a smile can convey warmth, a letter can convey news. Communicate is the most general and can be reciprocal — teams communicate ideas back and forth. Disclose implies revealing something previously kept private, such as a company disclosing its earnings. Reveal focuses on uncovering what was hidden. For example: 'The master chef imparted her techniques to the apprentices' (formal teaching) versus 'The report revealed the cause of the accident' (uncovering facts).

impart ↗convey ↗communicate ↗disclose ↗reveal ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a sense of
  • a feeling of

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Impart comes from Latin 'impartire' meaning 'to share, give a part of', formed from 'in-' (into) and 'pars, part-' (a part, a piece). It entered English through Old French 'empartir' in the 1400s, originally keeping the sense of 'to give a share of something'. Over time the meaning shifted from sharing a physical portion to sharing knowledge or qualities — the modern use we see today.