impose
Americanverb (used with object)
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to lay on or set as something to be borne, endured, obeyed, fulfilled, paid, etc..
to impose taxes.
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to put or set by or as if by authority.
to impose one's personal preference on others.
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to obtrude or thrust (oneself, one's company, etc.) upon others.
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to pass or palm off fraudulently or deceptively.
He imposed his pretentious books on the public.
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Printing. to lay (type pages, plates, etc.) in proper order on an imposing stone or the like and secure in a chase for printing.
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to lay on or inflict, as a penalty.
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Archaic. to put or place on something, or in a particular place.
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Obsolete. to lay on (the hands) ceremonially, as in confirmation or ordination.
verb (used without object)
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to make an impression on the mind; impose one's or its authority or influence.
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to obtrude oneself or one's requirements, as upon others.
Are you sure my request doesn't impose?
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to presume, as upon patience or good nature.
verb phrase
verb
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(tr) to establish as something to be obeyed or complied with; enforce
to impose a tax on the people
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to force (oneself, one's presence, etc) on another or others; obtrude
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(intr) to take advantage, as of a person or quality
to impose on someone's kindness
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(tr) printing to arrange pages so that after printing and folding the pages will be in the correct order
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(tr) to pass off deceptively; foist
to impose a hoax on someone
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(tr) (of a bishop or priest) to lay (the hands) on the head of a candidate for certain sacraments
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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imposernoun
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reimposeverb
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overimposeverb (used with object)
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preimposeverb (used with object)
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imposableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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imposesimple
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imposessimple
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have imposedperfect
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has imposedperfect
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am imposingprogressive
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are imposingprogressive
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is imposingprogressive
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have been imposingperfect progressive
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has been imposingperfect progressive
Past
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imposedsimple
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had imposedperfect
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was imposingprogressive
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were imposingprogressive
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had been imposingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of impose
First recorded in 1475–85; late Middle English, from Middle French imposer, equivalent to im- im- 1 + poser “to stop, cease”; pose 1; pose 2
Explanation
To impose means to force or inflict something on someone else. If you want to impose your musical taste on your parents, play your tunes all day at top volume. The verb impose emerged in the 1580s, meaning "to lay on as a burden," which is very similar to the modern meaning. Governments often impose taxes, legal restrictions, and other burdensome things on citizens, for example. But you should remember what Confucius once wisely said: "Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire."
Vocabulary lists containing impose
The Declaration of Independence
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List 2
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"The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin
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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:
Paxton’s office filed the civil lawsuit shortly after the criminal charges were announced, seeking to permanently close Rojas’ clinics and impose financial penalties.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
Both cases involved an authority that has previously been used to impose levies.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Asked whether Israel pressured the president to impose the condition, Leavitt said, “Not to my knowledge.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
That provision could give him more flexibility to impose tariffs on a whim, rather than the months of investigations required by Section 301.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
In almost every state, juries made the decision to impose the death penalty or life in prison without parole.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
The side that adapts faster imposes costs on its enemy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
Indonesia and Singapore vowed on Monday that the Strait of Malacca, a critical oil transit chokepoint in the region, will remain "accessible" even as Iran imposes fees on ships traversing the Strait of Hormuz.
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
If the administration imposes a new rule closer to the election, Logan said his office is ready to follow the law.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
There have also been several reports over the years of managers being suddenly dismissed, often for alleged breached of the rules the brewery imposes.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
It is true that the state imposes a license fee, but that fee does not come to the counties or the towns except for road maintenance and extension.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
The probe will be conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which requires an investigation before tariffs can be imposed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
She also imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which prohibits him from having any contact with children for a period of 20 years.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
The then Attorney-General Lord Hermer said Rudakubana's sentence was the "second-longest sentence imposed by the courts in English history".
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Brussels imposed a 2.95-billion-euro fine in a separate case under different antitrust rules in September last year, after which Trump threatened to retaliate against the EU.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Slavery is forbidden in Pentos, by the terms of the treaty the Braavosi imposed on us a hundred years ago. Still, they will not refuse you.”
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
"I fear that imposing food restrictions on teenagers could increase the risk of eating disorders, anorexia and body dysmorphia," he says.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Cutler said this has a lower likelihood of being overridden by courts, noting Trump's top trade official Jamieson Greer had carefully navigated procedural requirements before imposing duties.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
It’s also possible that the hints about export controls are diplomatic posturing by the Chinese government, intended to discourage the U.S. from imposing any restrictions on its technological freedoms.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
He trained physically to make Aemond lean but also strong and imposing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
A moment later a tall, imposing woman swept into the room, her deep blond hair longer than the woman was tall.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
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.
