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.
State privacy laws allow some politicians and law enforcement officials to shield their voter registration information from public view.
From Salon • Jul. 7, 2026
But he didn’t realize that—and there’s a great deal of pressure to comply, when you are confronted with law enforcement questioning your parenting, to show that you have nothing to hide.
From Slate • Jul. 7, 2026
The organisation has donated money to some police forces for vehicles that are used in enforcement.
From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026
More to the point, if law enforcement really needs information from a small business, it can always obtain a subpoena.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 6, 2026
These fictional dramas, like the evening news, tend to focus on individual stories of crime, victimization, and punishment, and the stories are typically told from the point of view of law enforcement.
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
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
