enforce
to put or keep in force; compel obedience to: to enforce a rule; Traffic laws will be strictly enforced.
to obtain (payment, obedience, etc.) by force or compulsion.
to impose (a course of action) upon a person: The doctor enforced a strict dietary regimen.
to support (a demand, claim, etc.) by force: to enforce one's rights as a citizen.
to impress or urge (an argument, contention, etc.) forcibly; lay stress upon: He enforced his argument by adding details.
Origin of enforce
1Other words for enforce
Other words from enforce
- en·force·a·ble, adjective
- en·force·a·bil·i·ty, noun
- en·forc·ed·ly [en-fawr-sid-lee, -fohr-], /ɛnˈfɔr sɪd li, -ˈfoʊr-/, adverb
- en·forc·er, noun
- en·forc·ive, adjective
- half-en·forced, adjective
- non·en·force·a·ble, adjective
- non·en·forced, adjective
- non·en·for·ced·ly, adverb
- non·en·forc·ing, adjective
- pre·en·force, verb (used with object), pre·en·forced, pre·en·forc·ing.
- qua·si-en·forced, adjective
- un·en·force·a·bil·i·ty, noun
- un·en·force·a·ble, adjective
- un·en·forced, adjective
- un·en·forc·ed·ly, adverb
- well-en·forced, adjective
Words Nearby enforce
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use enforce in a sentence
Those traits make the Aerospace goggles particularly useful now while my local mountain, Mount Ashland in Oregon, is strictly enforcing a mask rule in lift lines.
The NBA has a rule that players must stand for the anthem, but it has declined to enforce it in recent years.
The Dallas Mavericks will resume playing the national anthem before games | Timothy Bella | February 10, 2021 | Washington PostAs one lawyer essentially put it, there’s what the law says is required, and then what the SEC ever bothers to enforce.
The task of distributing vaccines was in many ways less complicated for the District than for any state — the city has only one health department and could make and enforce centralized decisions.
Confusion and chaos: Inside the vaccine rollout in D.C., Maryland and Virginia | Julie Zauzmer, Gregory S. Schneider, Erin Cox | February 9, 2021 | Washington PostAll these manual actions do are enforce the existing policies and guidelines Google has already published within its help documents.
Google publishes new manual actions aimed at Google News and Discover penalties | Barry Schwartz | February 8, 2021 | Search Engine Land
Obviously, the first obligation of all liberal democratic governments is to enforce the rule of law.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive | Ayaan Hirsi Ali | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTAt any rate, policy can enforce equal rights and foster equal opportunity.
“Given the number of events which take place across the UK it is likely to be difficult to enforce,” said Rupert Sutton.
People often forget that the National Panhellenic council used to enforce racial segregation by means of strict codes and laws.
Stepford Sororities: The Pressures of USC’s Greek Life | Maya Richard Craven | November 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTSo the CIW has looked to the marketplace to enforce these guarantees.
Consequently the Chinese (or Ming) emperor sent a large army to enforce his demand for the amount of money due him.
Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. PikeOr at least he would merely have expressed his wish that I should take the name, without going so far as to enforce it.
First Plays | A. A. MilneThe old dog stuck to her like a burr, and she had not the heart to take up a stick to enforce obedience.
The World Before Them | Susanna MoodieHis duties were to enforce the continental system and to keep a stern eye on Prussia.
Napoleon's Marshals | R. P. Dunn-PattisonIf he can get anything, he cannot claim it under his contract for he has broken it and therefore a court could not enforce it.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman | Albert Sidney Bolles
British Dictionary definitions for enforce
/ (ɪnˈfɔːs) /
to ensure observance of or obedience to (a law, decision, etc)
to impose (obedience, loyalty, etc) by or as by force
to emphasize or reinforce (an argument, demand, etc)
Derived forms of enforce
- enforceable, adjective
- enforceability, noun
- enforcedly (ɪnˈfɔːsɪdlɪ), adverb
- enforcement, noun
- enforcer, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Browse