While used interchangeably by many, the terms “erectile dysfunction” and “male impotence” seem to hold somewhat different meanings for others. Is there really any substantive difference between them?
Merriam-Webster.com appears to think not. Its definition of erectile dysfunction is “chronic inability to achieve or maintain an erection satisfactory for sexual intercourse.” The dictionary website’s secondary definition of impotence is a bit longer but essentially the same.
It defines impotence as “an abnormal physical or psychological state of a male characterized by an inability to engage in sexual intercourse because of failure to have or maintain an erection.” It then offers a link to its definition of “erectile dysfunction.”
Minor Differences Noted
If one truly wants to split hairs, the Merriam-Webster definitions do differ in some minor respects. While erectile dysfunction is the inability to get and keep an erection suitable for intercourse, according to the dictionary folks, impotence refers to the broader “physical or psychological state” that causes such erection problems.
Cardiologist Mehmet Oz, M.D., known to millions of TV fans simply as Dr. Oz, says the two terms mean essentially the same thing. However, he points out at Sharecare.com that doctors today prefer erectile dysfunction, which Oz claims is the more recent term and the more accurate description of the condition.
Impotence can also mean weakness, says Oz, which makes it less appropriate when describing ED. “Having a problem with erections has nothing to do with being weak or ineffective. It’s simply a matter of your erection-making system not functioning properly.”
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