💥 A striking object 🌍 A strong influence

impactor

7.0

A thing that strongly affects something and makes it change

noun
/ɪmˈpæktər/

: factor de impacto

Could a large impactor disrupt the flow and change the field?

Examples

You'd be surprised how many impactors that you know, that might just do a little nose.
We've got all those nasty impactors, rotation to the earth issues.
The new advertising campaign was an important impactor that significantly increased sales for the company.
Scientists believe that climate change is a major impactor affecting global weather patterns.
Education reform is a crucial impactor that can lead to improved opportunities for future generations.

Synonyms

influence

vsimpactor

430 3.4

Person or thing that changes how people think and behave

has strong effect on things beyond thoughts or behaviour

changer

vsimpactor

64 4.4

A person or thing that causes a difference

implies a strong force causing notable change

determinant

vsimpactor

11 6.8

A factor that strongly affects the result of something

has a strong effect without necessarily deciding outcomes

causal factor

vsimpactor

Specialized

1 4.5

A thing or condition that directly makes something happen

has broader strong effect rather than acting only as a direct condition

disruptor

vsimpactor

1 6.3

A person or company that causes big change in an industry

has strong effect generally and is not limited to industry innovation

causer

vsimpactor

1 6.9

A person or thing that makes something happen

suggests greater power or strong change rather than merely bringing things about

effector

vsimpactor

1 8.5

A person or thing that makes something happen

shows a stronger, more forceful effect rather than ordinary causation

effecter

vsimpactor

9.9

A person or thing that makes something happen

involves greater power or reach rather than only producing results

Antonyms

insignificance

7 5.8

A state of not being important or having little effect

ineffectiveness

6 5.4

Not able to produce the result you want

How Influential

catalyst

55 5.0

impactor

7.0

driver

Specialized

5 8.6

factor

∞ 2.1

contributor

136 3.6

Surface Forms

impactor singular

impactors plural

Morphology

impactor = impact (transparent) = impact + or

The sense 'a factor that has a strong effect' follows directly from 'impact' + agentive '-or', so the derivation is clear.

Etymology

Impactor comes from impact ('a strong hit' or 'a strong effect') plus the ending -or ('one who' or 'thing that does'). So an impactor is something that makes a strong effect or causes change, which is why we use it for factors that heavily influence something.