impose
Americanverb (used with object)
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imposes,
present (3rd person singular)
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imposed,
past participle, past
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imposing
present participle
-
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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imposes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
imposed,
past participle, past
-
imposing
present participle
-
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:
Two years later, momentum swung again, as the union helped persuade California Gov. Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown Jr. to impose the toughest farm labor regulations in the nation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
The city does not impose a local sales or income tax, and Michigan does not tax Social Security income.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026
For criminals aged 18-20, judges will be able to impose similar restrictions but for shorter periods of time, the MoJ said.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
The parent furor has led some districts, including New York City and Los Angeles, to impose moratoriums on student use of AI in the classroom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Judge Reed expressed serious misgivings about the sentence he was forced to impose.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Marsh will recommend that clients seek cover elsewhere if an insurer imposes AI exclusions, the letter said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
“You see the role of a mother who tries to play this more empathic part, while the father is the one playing the role of the educator who imposes his rules,” Mungiu says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
He sets his own relationship with the business world, and nobody imposes anything on him.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
What slows, how it slows and who imposes the limit will determine who ultimately pays.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 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 tariff, which was imposed in the name of national defense, is intended to stimulate U.S. production.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
California’s two biggest ports have been raising money to support electric trucking since 2022, when they imposed a $10 clean truck fee on diesel rigs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
China later imposed restrictions on the export to Japan of dual-use products -- those with both civilian and military applications -- and Tokyo has noted slowing or falling exports of some rare earths.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
In July of this year, the US imposed 25% tariffs on most goods, external from Brazil.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
The sentence imposed was four years in prison.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
But while the novel is imposing from sheer size alone, the shift in medium lends their elaborate, occasionally exhausting storytelling a curious new potency.
From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2026
California has strong laws that prevent homeowner associations from blocking solar panels or imposing unreasonable restrictions on them, Kaatz said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
Analysts told AFP that Xi is trying to maximise efficiency and loyalty among cadres by imposing more supervision and rules.
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026
“The consensus in Tehran now believes that deterrence requires imposing immediate, sustained and substantial costs on its adversaries,” said Sina Toossi, an Iran expert at the Center for International Policy, a Washington think tank.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
The imposing brick Sherman Hotel reigned from the far end of town.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
