enforce
Americanverb (used with object)
-
enforces,
present (3rd person singular)
-
enforced,
past participle, past
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enforcing
present participle
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to put or keep in force; compel obedience to.
to enforce a rule; Traffic laws will be strictly enforced.
- Synonyms:
- apply, execute, impose, administer
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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.
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to support (a demand, claim, etc.) by force.
to enforce one's rights as a citizen.
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to impress or urge (an argument, contention, etc.) forcibly; lay stress upon.
He enforced his argument by adding details.
verb
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to ensure observance of or obedience to (a law, decision, etc)
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to impose (obedience, loyalty, etc) by or as by force
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to emphasize or reinforce (an argument, demand, etc)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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enforceabilitynoun
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enforcementnoun
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enforcernoun
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unenforceabilitynoun
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preenforceverb (used with object)
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enforceableadjective
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enforciveadjective
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half-enforcedadjective
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nonenforceableadjective
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nonenforcedadjective
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nonenforcingadjective
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quasi-enforcedadjective
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unenforceableadjective
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unenforcedadjective
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well-enforcedadjective
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enforcedlyadverb
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nonenforcedlyadverb
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unenforcedlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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enforcesimple
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enforcessimple
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have enforcedperfect
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has enforcedperfect
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am enforcingprogressive
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are enforcingprogressive
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is enforcingprogressive
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have been enforcingperfect progressive
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has been enforcingperfect progressive
Past
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enforcedsimple
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had enforcedperfect
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was enforcingprogressive
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were enforcingprogressive
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had been enforcingperfect progressive
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.
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:
The disaster prompted major international efforts to improve workplace standards, including an agreement between global clothing brands and trade unions to inspect factories and enforce safety measures.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
Adding to the dark mood are police helicopters hovering, with searchlights blazing, to enforce a late-night curfew in the Les Halles and République sections of Paris.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
Originally scheduled for January 2026, the compliance deadline was proposed to be extended to July 2028; Congress subsequently directed the FDA not to enforce the rule before then.
From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2026
Most hosts on Airbnb and other online-booking companies abruptly pulled their listings from the platforms after a new law enabled the city to enforce longstanding regulations on rentals of fewer than 30 days.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
So often these books for our young people do not enforce a moral.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
The office of the state's insurance and fire safety commissioner, which enforces amusement park safety rules in Georgia, is also conducting a review.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
“My Office enforces the law without fear or favor,” Santa Clara Dist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
His case highlights how China’s all-powerful state security system enforces opaque laws in unpredictable ways that raise risks for U.S. passport holders, all while Beijing works to court foreign investors, academics and tourists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 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
They are all mad in England, said Hamlet, and Walpole enforces the sentence with a thousand burlesque anecdotes.
From Shelburne Essays, Third Series by Paul Elmer More
The homeowner, Lawn said, relandscaped specifically to comply with Zone Zero guidelines that are enforced locally by the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District and approximate the state’s framework.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
He also questioned how the new measures will be enforced.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
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
In 1996, the Chicago Board of Education enforced new rules saying that students had to make at least a 6.8 grade level in reading and math to move on to high school.
From "Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago" by LeAlan Jones
The Education Department has also increased pressure on institutions to provide better economic value, enforcing rules that strip federal student-loan eligibility from certificate and career training programs whose graduates fail to meet minimum earnings benchmarks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
Norway's main media organisations said Tuesday they had taken legal action to block Meta from enforcing new user terms which they claim threaten their rights to their journalistic content.
From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026
But responsibility for enforcing those limits is increasingly falling to organizations, institutions and individuals outside of the legislative branch.
From Salon ● Oct. 27, 2026
Last Monday the education ministry in Azerbaijan began enforcing new uniform rules, turning away female pupils wearing hijabs.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Nelson argued that he was simply enforcing the law.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
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