imposition

American  

[im-puh-zish-uhn] / ˌɪm pəˈzɪʃ ən /

noun

1. the laying on of something as a burden or obligation.

2. something imposed, as a burden or duty; an unusual or extraordinarily burdensome requirement or task.

3. the act of imposing by or as if by authority.

4. an instance of imposing upon a person.

   He did the favor but considered the request an imposition.

5. the act of imposing fraudulently or deceptively on others; imposture.

6. the ceremonial laying on of hands, as in confirmation or ordination.

7. Printing. the arrangement of page plates in proper order on a press for printing a signature.

8. the act of putting, placing, or laying on.

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imposition British  

/ ˌɪmpəˈzɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of imposing

2. something that is imposed unfairly on someone

3. (in Britain) a task set as a school punishment

4. the arrangement of pages for printing so that the finished work will have its pages in the correct order

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preimposition
  noun
• nonimposition
  noun
• reimposition
  noun

Etymology

Origin of imposition

1325–75; Middle English imposicioun < Late Latin impositiōn- (stem of impositiō ), equivalent to imposit ( us ) past participle of impōnere to place upon, impose ( im- im- ¹ + posi-, variant stem of pōnere to put + -tus past participle suffix) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

Imposition means you force something — usually an unwanted burden — on someone else. If your friends invite themselves over for dinner the night before your big test, that's an imposition because you'll have to cook instead of studying. Imposition comes from the 14th century Old French word of the same spelling, meaning "the levying of taxes, a tax, duty." Taxes are a good way to remember the meaning of imposition. You never want to pay taxes — but you have no choice but to pay. It can be the same for other kinds of burdens: if something is an imposition, you don't want to do it, but you likely will have to.

Example Sentences

Discretion that is “suitably directed and limited” would “ensure … the sentencing authority is apprised of the information relevant to the imposition of sentence and provided with standards to guide its use of that information.”

From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026

In the nine months following the April 2025 imposition of reciprocal tariffs, Chinese exports to the United States declined by an estimated $109 billion against the 2022-24 baseline.

From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026

But Iranian officials and state media said that conditions remained on passage through the waterway, including the imposition of tolls and coordination with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

China’s imposition of rare-earth export restrictions last year showed Beijing’s willingness to wield its market power.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

Every state has its own rules and regulations governing their imposition.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• intrusion