Synonyms

enforce

American

[en-fawrs, -fohrs] / ɛnˈfɔrs, -ˈfoʊrs /

verb (used with object)

to put or keep in force; compel obedience to.

to enforce a rule; Traffic laws will be strictly enforced.

Synonyms:

apply, execute, impose, administer
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.

enforce British

/ ɪnˈfɔːs /

verb

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)

"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

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Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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Etymology

Origin of enforce

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English enforcen, from Anglo-French enforcer, Old French enforcier, enforc(ir), from en- en- ¹ + forci(e)r “to compel, strengthen” ( see force)

Explanation

To enforce means to make sure the laws and rules are being followed. So those guys wearing striped outfits and whistles? They're in charge of enforcing the rules of the game. See the word force inside of enforce? It can help you remember that enforce is all about forcing others to follow the rules. The traffic police enforce the driving laws by handing out speeding tickets. Your parents hopefully enforce good behavior by grounding you when you stay out too late. It would be wonderful if everyone just followed the rules on their own, but it seems the temptation to be bad is just too strong. So thank goodness for all the enforcers that keep us in line.

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Vocabulary lists containing enforce

Stay Strong: Forc and Fort

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13th Amendment (1865)

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19th Amendment (1920)

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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.

See Examples For:

enforce enforces enforced enforcing

"We requested that the US side strictly enforce discipline among its personnel, implement effective measures to prevent a recurrence, and ensure full compliance with the nighttime curfew," Koizumi told reporters.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

"Whether or not this merger proceeds, we will fully enforce delivery workers' rights," it added.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

But didn’t they just enforce it with 28 cases?

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

Originally scheduled for January 2026, the compliance deadline was proposed to be extended to July 2028; Congress subsequently directed the FDA not to enforce the rule before then.

From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2026

No single concentration of power could enforce social and intellectual conformity in all the islands.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Azerbaijan is constitutionally secular and the government strongly enforces that.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

The office of the state's insurance and fire safety commissioner, which enforces amusement park safety rules in Georgia, is also conducting a review.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

“My Office enforces the law without fear or favor,” Santa Clara Dist.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

The company is changing how it enforces its site reputation policy within the European Economic Area, to appease regulators and avoid a potentially hefty fine.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

The developmental history of double monsters enforces the same doctrine; such are common among the embryos of fish, and rather less common among chicks.

From The Biological Problem of To-day Preformation Or Epigenesis? The Basis of a Theory of Organic Development by Oscar Hertwig

Mazari and Chattha are prominent human rights lawyers who have represented activists, journalists and marginalised communities subjected to enforced disappearances.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

One ambitious report published by the think tank floated the radical idea of curbing the credit-card swipe fees enforced at grocery stores.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026

“Lincoln Nation conducted major combat operations, enforced naval blockade and demonstrated the presence and power of the carrier strike group and multiple numbered fleets, all while keeping up unprecedented operational tempo.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

U.S. law bars foreign armed forces from recruiting on American soil, but the statute is rarely enforced.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

That was not the way the schoolmaster enforced discipline.

From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare

Norway's main media organisations said Tuesday they had taken legal action to block Meta from enforcing new user terms which they claim threaten their rights to their journalistic content.

From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026

But responsibility for enforcing those limits is increasingly falling to organizations, institutions and individuals outside of the legislative branch.

From Salon ● Oct. 27, 2026

That leaves the job of enforcing institutional rules to the markets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026

Mazariegos said homeless prevention starts with enforcing a “huge list” of the city’s tenant rights laws, including rent control and prohibitions against landlords harassing tenants.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Only fifteen hundred field federal agents were assigned the enormous task of enforcing Prohibition.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

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