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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

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

Universities that fail to enforce their own disciplinary policies are a much bigger threat to students than occasional frat parties.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

In addition to California, the company partners with 11 other states to report methane super emitters, but Duren said California is the only state with a program that sends out notices to enforce its regulations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Nvidia said the platform included a watchdog that can quarantine agents that attempt to move outside their boundaries in milliseconds, as well as software to enforce what agents can see, do, and interact with.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

The rules already exist and his job is simply to enforce them.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

“They rely on witch and wizard parents to enforce their offspring’s obedience while within their walls.”

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling

“Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country including in California,” the spokesperson said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

Boland said Ofcom, which enforces the OSA, should be encouraged use it to "crack down on irresponsible online platforms that leave consumers wide open to fraud".

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

Then it hacked the module that enforces blind obedience and embarked on a long journey to becoming human, with a full set of emotions spanning love, grief and . . . just kidding.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

For more than a decade, aircraft entering Yemeni airspace have needed prior clearance from the Saudi-led coalition that backs the government and says it enforces the restriction at its request.

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

Debussy's orchestra is unrivalled in musico-dramatic art for the exquisite justness with which it enforces the moods and action of the play.

From Aspects of Modern Opera Estimates and Inquiries by Lawrence Gilman

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

The law can be "enforced against any provider, starting from the testing phase, if they experience a loss of control that affects the EU's internal market," including cyberattacks and biological or chemical misuse, Regnier said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026

He started only 15 different players across the four games with two of his changes enforced by Ballard's injury and Ethan Galbraith's absence against Ukraine to attend the birth of his child.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

Following George Gamow, let us imagine a place where the speed of light is not its true value of 300,000 kilometers per second, but something very modest: 40 kilometers per hour, say— and strictly enforced.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Building affordable housing, along with enforcing those laws, will keep more people housed, he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

But an officer praised for enforcing rules can also face criticism for applying them too rigidly without taking into account ground realities.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

Turkey, which has long been reluctant to implement U.S. economic sanctions, is enforcing restrictions on Iranian banks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

Consider the fact that an HOA is responsible for enforcing landscaping requirements, such as making sure homeowners have trimmed their grass.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026

First, let’s consider the absence of overt racial hostility among politicians who support harsh drug laws and the law enforcement officials charged with enforcing them.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

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