impose
[im-pohz]
- to lay on or set as something to be borne, endured, obeyed, fulfilled, paid, etc.: to impose taxes.
- to put or set by or as if by authority: to impose one's personal preference on others.
- to obtrude or thrust (oneself, one's company, etc.) upon others.
- to pass or palm off fraudulently or deceptively: He imposed his pretentious books on the public.
- Printing. to lay (type pages, plates, etc.) in proper order on an imposing stone or the like and secure in a chase for printing.
- to lay on or inflict, as a penalty.
- Archaic. to put or place on something, or in a particular place.
- Obsolete. to lay on (the hands) ceremonially, as in confirmation or ordination.
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- to make an impression on the mind; impose one's or its authority or influence.
- to obtrude oneself or one's requirements, as upon others: Are you sure my request doesn't impose?
- to presume, as upon patience or good nature.
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- impose on/upon,
- to thrust oneself offensively upon others; intrude.
- to take unfair advantage of; misuse (influence, friendship, etc.).
- to defraud; cheat; deceive: A study recently showed the shocking number of confidence men that impose on the public.
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Origin of impose
Synonyms
See more synonyms for impose on Thesaurus.com3. force, foist.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for impose
Contemporary Examples
Expectations, reasonable or unrealistic, remain so even if we impose them on ourselves.
The United Nations was prompted to impose a ban on selling mainframe computers or laptops to North Korea.
The United States has tools to impose costs on the North Koreans.
We can, due to the critical issues at stake, also go one more step and impose an embargo.
In spite of all these changes, the force of the state continued to impose the black abaya in public.
Saudi Activist Manal Al-Sharif on Why She Removed the VeilManal Al Sharif, Advancing Human Rights
October 30, 2014
Historical Examples
We will not use our friendship to impose on their sovereignty, for our own sovereignty is not for sale.
America will not impose our own style of government on the unwilling.
He wanted to impose his will on me, and I would not submit to it.
My Double LifeSarah Bernhardt
It in no way wishes to impose work on women nor to make them unaccustomed to it.
The Sexual QuestionAugust Forel
And surely, said he, this is not a very severe order which we impose upon them.
The RepublicPlato
impose
- (tr) to establish as something to be obeyed or complied with; enforceto impose a tax on the people
- to force (oneself, one's presence, etc) on another or others; obtrude
- (intr) to take advantage, as of a person or qualityto impose on someone's kindness
- (tr) printing to arrange pages so that after printing and folding the pages will be in the correct order
- (tr) to pass off deceptively; foistto impose a hoax on someone
- (tr) (of a bishop or priest) to lay (the hands) on the head of a candidate for certain sacraments
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Word Origin
C15: from Old French imposer, from Latin impōnere to place upon, from pōnere to place, set
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for impose
v.
late 14c., "to lay (a crime, etc.) to the account of," from Old French imposer "put, place; impute, charge, accuse" (c.1300), from assimilated form of in- "into, in" (see in- (2)) + poser "put, place" (see pose (v.1)). Sense of "to lay on as a burden" first recorded 1580s. Related: Imposed; imposing.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper