Showing results for "imposed"

• past tense form of impose.
• past participle of impose.

imposed

American  

[im-pohzd] / ɪmˈpoʊzd /

adjective

1. laid on by someone, especially an authority, as something to be endured, obeyed, paid, etc..

   Offenders receive swiftly imposed but meaningful community service assignments, which the court monitors daily for compliance.

2. thrust or forced upon someone else, as one’s tastes, ideas, company, etc..

   I pray for my children to grow confidently into who they have been created to be, free from the pressure of imposed reputation and expectation.

3. created or established forcibly or artificially rather than developing naturally.

   All living systems organize and reorganize themselves into adaptive patterns and structures without any externally imposed plan or direction.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of impose.

Other Word Forms

• subimposed
  adjective
• unimposed
  adjective
• well-imposed
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of imposed

impose ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

Something that is imposed is usually unwelcome and unpleasant and is expected to be endured — like higher taxes or unwelcome guests. The adjective imposed comes from the Latin imponere, "to place upon, to inflict or deceive." An imposed tax is one placed upon you by law. The English word comes by way of the Middle French verb imposer, meaning "to lay a burden." So if you are imposed upon by an unwanted guest, you'll have to endure an imposed visit.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

imposed

A fee imposed on a large retailer is very different from one imposed on a tiny shop or informal trader.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

China has since warned its citizens against travel to Japan and imposed trade restrictions, while also conducting regular patrols around disputed islands.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

Reduced tariffs were also imposed on drones from select countries, including Japan and the United Kingdom.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

The show promises to teach Americans how to eat “real food,” presenting recognizable ingredients and home cooking as an antidote to a processed-food culture portrayed as artificial, addictive and imposed from above.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

As befitted the central player in the Constitutional Convention, Madison emphasized the various legal obligations imposed by the compact of 1787.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• prescribed
• required
• sanctioned