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Synonyms

impose

American

[im-pohz] / ɪmˈpoʊz /

verb (used with object)

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.

Synonyms:

foist, force
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.

verb (used without object)

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.

verb phrase

impose on / upon
1. to thrust oneself offensively upon others; intrude.
2. to take unfair advantage of; misuse (influence, friendship, etc.).
3. to defraud; cheat; deceive.
  
  A study recently showed the shocking number of confidence men that impose on the public.

impose British

/ ɪmˈpəʊz /

verb

(tr) to establish as something to be obeyed or complied with; enforce

to 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 quality

to 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; foist

to impose a hoax on someone
(tr) (of a bishop or priest) to lay (the hands) on the head of a candidate for certain sacraments

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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."

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Vocabulary lists containing impose

The Declaration of Independence

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List 2

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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:

impose imposes imposed imposing

Canada said it plans to impose tariffs of 15% to 50% on about $20 billion of U.S. imports.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

A decision by the Parades Commission to impose restrictions on one of the most contentious parades in Northern Ireland has been quashed in the High Court.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Oxford added it’s still possible for an off-ramp and de-escalation of trade tensions ahead of the Sept. 8 deadline Canada set to impose levies on U.S. products.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

Ryan Majerus, a former US commerce official, told AFP that "if Canada has agreed to also impose retaliatory tariffs, that will make deescalating this a lot harder."

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

Behind her she heard the continuing roar of the engines, the confused shouts, the powerful voice of the President trying to impose some order on the scene.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that imposes a 15% tariff on imported products made from polysilicon, a crucial material used in semiconductors and solar panels.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

In June, county voters approved Measure ER, which imposes a half-cent sales tax estimated to bring in $1 billion a year to help cash-strapped hospitals, clinics and Planned Parenthood services.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

She said there were mitigation efforts the company planned to put in place, and the approval imposes legally binding conditions on Canada Nickel that include protections for indigenous people living in and using the area.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

The legislation also imposes the first federal restrictions on purchases of single-family homes by large corporate investors, targeting firms that already own hundreds of properties.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

Random for most practical purposes, they are actually generated by a deterministic formula which imposes sufficient order on the numbers as to render them useless for some applications.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

The fallout from the 2016 Actors’ Equity Assn. agreement, which imposed an hourly minimum wage for members who perform in Los Angeles County theater with fewer than 100 seats, is still being felt.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

But unlike Turkey, Pakistan's top export partner is instead the US, meaning it has more to lose from any economic punishment imposed by Washington.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Any cuts at Volkswagen have to be negotiated rather than imposed, setting up protracted and difficult talks.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

For him the scene highlighted the contrast between the animal's wild nature and the human environment imposed upon it.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

School desegregation, imposed by a federal court over bitter protests, did not take place until 1982.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

This would involve imposing sanctions on not just Iran but any entity doing business with it.

From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026

These visitors were imposing their own categories on another culture and missing other forms of meaning and allusion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

US President Donald Trump said he will delay imposing new tariffs on a wide array of Canadian goods for three days as the countries firm up a trade deal.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

“Listing all the reasons they shouldn’t do it and imposing ‘This is what you should do’ can make the client feel judged,” Taylor said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

The house was fringed with palm trees, magnificent gardens, and concealed but nonetheless imposing outbuildings in which the family indulged its various hobbies.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023