imposition

[im-puh-zish-uhn]

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 imposing by or as if by authority.

4. an instance of imposing imposing upon a person.

   He did the favor but considered the request an imposition.

5. the act of imposing 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.

imposition

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• nonimposition noun
• preimposition noun
• reimposition noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of imposition¹

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

Example Sentences

But trying to mould someone's appearance according to your preferences is dangerous, she argues, as the person on the receiving end could see it as an unwelcome imposition.

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He did not address any Western nations specifically in his five-minute speech, but Chinese officials have previously called the US a "bully" for its imposition of tariffs on countries around the world.

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Companies that fear the imposition of export fees on their own products might have to wait until they could show concrete damage to their own interests in order to bring a case in federal court.

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"Sanctions maintenance is as big a task as the imposition of sanctions in the first place," US sanctions expert Richard Nephew of Columbia University says.

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Leaseholders Mr Hemmings, Mr Jones and Ms Shaw said the changes that might stop the imposition of for-profit professional management companies by landlords could not come soon enough.

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Related Words

• intrusion