Showing results for "imposed"

• past participle of impose.
• past tense form 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

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Etymology

Origin of imposed

impose ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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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

It was unclear why they were imposed in the first place.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

The CJP had called for a protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, but authorities imposed extensive security restrictions across the capital to prevent demonstrators from reaching the site.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Due to Bank of America's "egregious and continued" violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, the OCC imposed its biggest civil money penalty assessed against a bank, said Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

Historically, private equity and private debt funds imposed lock-ups that prevented accredited investors from accessing their funds for long periods of time.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

The safety measures imposed on the students since Black’s second break-in made it impossible for Harry, Ron, and Hermione to go and visit Hagrid in the evenings.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

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Related Words

• prescribed
• required
• sanctioned

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