Synonyms

enjoin

American

[en-join] / ɛnˈdʒɔɪn /

verb (used with object)

to prescribe (a course of action) with authority or emphasis.

The doctor enjoined a strict diet.
to direct or order to do something.

He was enjoined to live more frugally.

Synonyms:

require, command, bid, charge
Law. to prohibit or restrain by an injunction.

Synonyms:

ban, interdict, proscribe

enjoin British

/ ɪnˈdʒɔɪn /

verb

to order (someone) to do (something); urge strongly; command
to impose or prescribe (a condition, mode of behaviour, etc)
law to require (a person) to do or refrain from doing (some act), esp by issuing an injunction

"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

Other Word Forms

enjoiner noun
enjoinment noun
reenjoin verb (used with object)
unenjoined adjective

Etymology

Origin of enjoin

1175–1225; Middle English enjoi ( g ) nen < Old French enjoindre < Latin injungere to fasten to, bring upon. See in- ², join

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Court of International Trade to enjoin the tariffs so businesses don’t have to pay them while litigation plays out and later seek refunds if higher courts rule them unlawful.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026

The record describes what is part of the case, and if the record shows violations, then the court has a duty to enjoin that.

From Slate • Sep. 15, 2025

Going forward, courts may only enjoin enforcement to the extent necessary to give relief to the plaintiffs who brought the case.

From Salon • Jun. 30, 2025

“Years of experience have shown that the Executive Branch cannot properly perform its functions if any judge anywhere can enjoin every presidential action everywhere,” wrote acting Solicitor Gen. Sarah M. Harris.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2025

Some employers go further; instead of relying on the informal “money taboo” to keep workers from discussing and comparing wages, they specifically enjoin workers from doing so.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023