Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of enforcement
1425–75; late Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French. See enforce, -ment
Explanation
Enforcement is when someone in a position of power makes sure you follow the rules, whether it’s a police officer pulling over a speeding car, or your brother catching you cheating at checkers. Most people benefit from the enforcement of laws, because it prevents criminals from taking advantage of others. You can see the word force inside enforcement, and it usually takes a little force to keep people from breaking rules. Enforcement may not make you a popular person – think of a hall monitor – but it does make for an obedient and organized life.
Vocabulary lists containing enforcement
Stay Strong: Forc and Fort
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Bush's Address on 9/11
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Holes
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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.
Her diagnosis came shortly after President Donald Trump ousted her from the post of America's top law enforcement officer, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
“As is our regular practice, we send copyright notices to unauthorized websites that post copyrighted content from CBS and our network/studio talent,” the spokesperson asserted, insisting the copyright enforcement was simply routine intellectual-property protection.
From Salon • May 27, 2026
The operating system stayed embedded in retail, banking, healthcare, energy, law enforcement and defense systems long after it should have been retired.
From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026
“For this episode, we have decided to waive further enforcement of this standard industry practice until additional review,” the statement said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026
The Court’s enforcement decree, issued a full year after Brown, seemed conciliatory to segregationists, imposing no deadline for achieving racially mixed schools and calling merely for “good faith implementation.”
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
