enforce

[en-fawrs, -fohrs]

verb (used with object), en·forced, en·forc·ing.

to put or keep in force; compel obedience to: to enforce a rule; Traffic laws will be strictly enforced.
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.

Origin of enforce

1275–1325; Middle English enforcen < Anglo-French enforcer, Old French enforcier, enforc(ir), equivalent to en- en-¹ + forci(e)r to force

Related formsen·force·a·ble, adjectiveen·force·a·bil·i·ty, nounen·forc·ed·ly

[en-fawr-sid-lee, -fohr-] /ɛnˈfɔr sɪd li, -ˈfoʊr-/, adverben·forc·er, nounen·forc·ive, adjectivehalf-en·forced, adjectivenon·en·force·a·ble, adjectivenon·en·forced, adjectivenon·en·for·ced·ly, adverbnon·en·forc·ing, adjectivepre·en·force, verb (used with object), pre·en·forced, pre·en·forc·ing.qua·si-en·forced, adjectiveun·en·force·a·bil·i·ty, nounun·en·force·a·ble, adjectiveun·en·forced, adjectiveun·en·forc·ed·ly, adverbwell-en·forced, adjective

Synonyms

1. administer, impose, execute, apply.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for enforceable

Contemporary Examples

Thankfully, the female lawyers told them to go jump in a lake, so the law was not enforceable.
Don’t Tread On My Hair, Hamas
Maysoon Zayid
April 4, 2013
The directive issued this month is more of a strong recommendation than an enforceable rule.
Intelligence Community Aims to Get Tough on Leaks
Eli Lake
June 21, 2012
A postnup can be a good way to arrange an enforceable system that helps arbitrate disagreements.
Postnups Becoming More Popular, but They’re Not for Everyone
Jacoba Urist
May 20, 2012
Critically, there is no enforceable international air-safety regime.
2010's Unsafe Skies
Clive Irving
December 30, 2010

Historical Examples

Any contract or sale of lands must be in writing to be enforceable.
Cyclopedia of Commerce, Accountancy, Business Administration, v. 3
Various
In the other nine States which profess to have seceded, including South Carolina, those laws are not enforceable anywhere.
Trial of the Officers and Crew of the Privateer Savannah, on the Charge of Piracy, in the United States Circuit Court for the Southern District of New York
A. F. Warburton
If valid it is enforceable by virtue of s. 12 of that Act as a final judgment of the High Court in its civil jurisdiction.
Judgments of the Court of Appeal of New Zealand on Proceedings to Review Aspects of the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Mount Erebus Aircraft Disaster
Sir Owen Woodhouse, R. B. Cooke, Ivor L. M. Richardson, Duncan Wallace McMullin, and Sir Edward Somers
A law which is not enforceable is a nullity; it has in strictness no existence.
A Leap in the Dark
A.V. Dicey
It required that certain important contracts must be made in writing, in order to be enforceable at law.
Cyclopedia of Commerce, Accountancy, Business Administration, v. 3
Various

British Dictionary definitions for enforceable

enforce

verb (tr)

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)

Derived Formsenforceable, adjectiveenforceability, nounenforcedly (ɪnˈfɔːsɪdlɪ), adverbenforcement, nounenforcer, noun

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

Word Origin and History for enforceable

adj.

1580s, from enforce + -able. Related: Enforceability.

enforce

v.

early 14c., "to drive by physical force;" mid-14c., "make an effort; strengthen a place; compel," from Old French enforcier or from en- (1) "make, put in" + force. Related: Enforced; enforcing.

enforce

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}enforce

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for enforceable

Contemporary Examples

Thankfully, the female lawyers told them to go jump in a lake, so the law was not enforceable.

The directive issued this month is more of a strong recommendation than an enforceable rule.

A postnup can be a good way to arrange an enforceable system that helps arbitrate disagreements.

Critically, there is no enforceable international air-safety regime.

Historical Examples

Any contract or sale of lands must be in writing to be enforceable.

In the other nine States which profess to have seceded, including South Carolina, those laws are not enforceable anywhere.

If valid it is enforceable by virtue of s. 12 of that Act as a final judgment of the High Court in its civil jurisdiction.

A law which is not enforceable is a nullity; it has in strictness no existence.

It required that certain important contracts must be made in writing, in order to be enforceable at law.

enforce

Word Origin and History for enforceable

adj.

enforce

v.

Origin of enforce