n. essentially a psychological term that has found its way into criminal trials. An allegation of diminished legal capacity means that even if the defendant was not mentally ill, due to emotional distress, physical condition or other factors, he or she could not fully understand the type of crime with which he or she is charged, particularly murder or attempted murder. It is presented by the defence for the purpose of eliminating the element of criminal intent or intent and thereby obtaining a conviction for a lesser crime such as manslaughter instead of murder. Although the theory has some legitimacy, jurors were sometimes overly impressed by psychiatric testimony. The most notorious case was People v. Dan White, the confessed murderer of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and supervisor Harvey Milk, who was convicted of manslaughter solely because his ability was impaired by blood sugar by eating “Twinkies.” The past participle of the Latin verb imprimere, “to press”, is impressus, which evolved into the meaning “to make a permanent image” in the 14th century. The word has been used figuratively when your parents tell you how important it is to be honest, or when you impress the judges during a diving competition. Impressing can also mean enlisting someone in the military. Think of the verb impress, such as “leave a trace.” You can impress a canvas print, or you can impress potential employers during a job interview. Whether this impression is good or bad, it`s up to you! Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for Impressment These sample sentences are automatically selected from various online information sources to reflect the current use of the word “Impression”. The views expressed in the examples do not represent the views of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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