Impose
verb
To force someone to accept something, especially a belief or way of living.
The government imposed a new tax on the public.
Often appears as...
- impose a ban
- impose a tax
verb
To arrange or dictate the terms, conditions, or course of action.
The company was dominated by its CEO who imposed his will with an iron fist.
Often appears as...
- impose a rule
- impose a decision
Usage tips
Formal
verb
To lay on another as an obligation, duty, or charge.
The court is imposing a fine for his actions.
Often appears as...
- impose a fine
- impose a sentence
Usage tips
Formal
verb
To take advantage by placing unwelcome demands.
She always imposes on us to take care of her children.
Often appears as...
- impose on someone's hospitality
- impose on someone's time
verb
To put or set by or as if by authority.
The King imposed a new law to maintain peace in the kingdom.
Often appears as...
- impose an order
- impose a law
Usage tips
Formal
Literary
verb
To force someone to accept something, especially a belief or way of living.
The government imposed a new tax on the public.
Often appears as...
- impose a ban
- impose a tax
verb
To arrange or dictate the terms, conditions, or course of action.
The company was dominated by its CEO who imposed his will with an iron fist.
Often appears as...
- impose a rule
- impose a decision
Usage tips
Formal
verb
To lay on another as an obligation, duty, or charge.
The court is imposing a fine for his actions.
Often appears as...
- impose a fine
- impose a sentence
Usage tips
Formal
verb
To take advantage by placing unwelcome demands.
She always imposes on us to take care of her children.
Often appears as...
- impose on someone's hospitality
- impose on someone's time
verb
To put or set by or as if by authority.
The King imposed a new law to maintain peace in the kingdom.
Often appears as...
- impose an order
- impose a law
Usage tips
Formal
Literary
Definition 1 of 5
Pro Tip 1/2Authority Connotation
Imposing something often implies authority or power making one submit to a rule or decision.
Employers impose dress codes in the workplace.
Pro Tip 2/2Unpopularity Hint
When something is imposed, it may not be well-received as it did not come from a group's consensus.
The new policy was imposed without consulting the staff.
Pro Tip 1/2Authority Connotation
Imposing something often implies authority or power making one submit to a rule or decision.
Employers impose dress codes in the workplace.
Pro Tip 2/2Unpopularity Hint
When something is imposed, it may not be well-received as it did not come from a group's consensus.
The new policy was imposed without consulting the staff.
Pro Tip 1/2Authority Connotation
Imposing something often implies authority or power making one submit to a rule or decision.
Employers impose dress codes in the workplace.
Pro Tip 2/2Unpopularity Hint
When something is imposed, it may not be well-received as it did not come from a group's consensus.
The new policy was imposed without consulting the staff.
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Video examples
Talking about history...
just been absolutely transformative I was here three weeks before I was scheduled to argue two cases at the United States Supreme Court where we were asking the court to ban death and prison sentences imposed on children the u.s. is still the only country in the world that legalized its life
Video examples
How to speak so that...
Some people broadcast the whole time. Try not to do that. That's called sodcasting, Imposing your sound on people around you carelessly and inconsiderately. Not nice. Of course, where this all comes into play most of all is when you've got something really important to do.
Video examples
How to take a picture of...
This is a little bit like giving the same description to three different sketch artists from all around the world. If they all produce a very similar-looking face, then we can start to become confident that they're not imposing their own cultural biases on the drawings.
Video examples
Why should you read...
as a masterpiece of dystopian fiction. Dystopian fiction as a genre amplifies troubling features of the world around us and imagines the consequences of taking them to an extreme. In many dystopian stories, the government imposes constrictions onto unwilling subjects.
Video examples
Would you raise the bird...
it may be best to simply foster the imposter. Brood parasitism tends to evoke horror and disdain. But why should it be thought of as any more objectionable than predator-prey relationships? And is it ever productive to impose human morals onto other animals?
Video examples
CIA Mind Control PIPE CIA...
intensifies the new goal is to cause an individual to become subservient to an imposed control to the point where he will perform acts against his will and then have no memory of the act the search for a real-life manchurian candidate
Video examples
Why I must come out PIPE...
by our society, our moment in history, even our own bodies. Some people have the courage to break free, not to accept the limitations imposed by the color of their skin or by the beliefs of those that surround them.
Video examples
Meet the World's Biggest...
millions of dark huge winged creatures dominate the skies they're an imposing sight but these black flying foxes are just big harmless bats the biggest in the world their wingspan can reach a whopping six feet
Video examples
Whatever happened to...
Cap and trade can’t solve every environmental problem. But by using scientific consensus to guide policy, adopting efficient technology, and being unafraid to impose reasonable costs for pollution,
Video examples
Orcas Kill, But Not Just...
Often when we're filming our mammal cousins, it's very tempting to impose our own human anthropocentric values on their actions, and that is, I think, a mistake.
Video examples
Talking about history...
just been absolutely transformative I was here three weeks before I was scheduled to argue two cases at the United States Supreme Court where we were asking the court to ban death and prison sentences imposed on children the u.s. is still the only country in the world that legalized its life
Video examples
How to speak so that...
Some people broadcast the whole time. Try not to do that. That's called sodcasting, Imposing your sound on people around you carelessly and inconsiderately. Not nice. Of course, where this all comes into play most of all is when you've got something really important to do.
Video examples
How to take a picture of...
This is a little bit like giving the same description to three different sketch artists from all around the world. If they all produce a very similar-looking face, then we can start to become confident that they're not imposing their own cultural biases on the drawings.
Video examples
Why should you read...
as a masterpiece of dystopian fiction. Dystopian fiction as a genre amplifies troubling features of the world around us and imagines the consequences of taking them to an extreme. In many dystopian stories, the government imposes constrictions onto unwilling subjects.
Video examples
Would you raise the bird...
it may be best to simply foster the imposter. Brood parasitism tends to evoke horror and disdain. But why should it be thought of as any more objectionable than predator-prey relationships? And is it ever productive to impose human morals onto other animals?
Video examples
CIA Mind Control PIPE CIA...
intensifies the new goal is to cause an individual to become subservient to an imposed control to the point where he will perform acts against his will and then have no memory of the act the search for a real-life manchurian candidate
Video examples
Why I must come out PIPE...
by our society, our moment in history, even our own bodies. Some people have the courage to break free, not to accept the limitations imposed by the color of their skin or by the beliefs of those that surround them.
Video examples
Meet the World's Biggest...
millions of dark huge winged creatures dominate the skies they're an imposing sight but these black flying foxes are just big harmless bats the biggest in the world their wingspan can reach a whopping six feet
Video examples
Whatever happened to...
Cap and trade can’t solve every environmental problem. But by using scientific consensus to guide policy, adopting efficient technology, and being unafraid to impose reasonable costs for pollution,
Video examples
Orcas Kill, But Not Just...
Often when we're filming our mammal cousins, it's very tempting to impose our own human anthropocentric values on their actions, and that is, I think, a mistake.
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Emily V. Gordon
American Writer
A lot of people end up getting married more out of expectation than out of passion for each other, but if your options have ever been, 'We either get married or break up,' be careful. Marriage should be a new addition you add to the house that is your relationship, not the structure you impose on the house once it's already built.
Quote examples
James Frey
American Writer
I will not allow people to impose rules on me that don't make sense to me. And I live and work very much outside the literary world and the literary system. What they think and what they believe and what their rules are mean nothing to me.
Quote examples
Jack Ma
Chinese Businessman
I want to stress the importance of being fair to our readers. You should not impose your own view and prejudice on the readers and try to lead them to a conclusion. As a reader, I understand what a fair report is.
Quote examples
Jack Keane
American General
When you had thugs and bullies and killers imposing their will on their own people or other people - if you don't respond to it, it just keeps coming because they're encouraged by their own success.
Quote examples
Thomas Sowell
American Economist
President Obama seems completely unaware of how many of the policies he is trying to impose have been tried before, in many times and places around the world, and have failed time and again.
Quote examples
Zico
Brazilian Coach
For me dialogue is as essential in football as in life. I like to talk to my players and I never impose anything, I always give them the chance to make their own choices.
Quote examples
Franz Kafka
Novelist
By imposing too great a responsibility, or rather, all responsibility, on yourself, you crush yourself.
Quote examples
Naguib Mahfouz
Egyptian Novelist
Winning Nobel imposed on me a lifestyle to which I am not used and which I would not have preferred.
Quote examples
Sergei Lavrov
Russian Diplomat
Russia would not support anything which would be actually imposed on Syrians.
Quote examples
Avigdor Lieberman
Israeli Politician
It's impossible to impose peace, only to create it.
Quote examples
Emily V. Gordon
American Writer
A lot of people end up getting married more out of expectation than out of passion for each other, but if your options have ever been, 'We either get married or break up,' be careful. Marriage should be a new addition you add to the house that is your relationship, not the structure you impose on the house once it's already built.
Quote examples
James Frey
American Writer
I will not allow people to impose rules on me that don't make sense to me. And I live and work very much outside the literary world and the literary system. What they think and what they believe and what their rules are mean nothing to me.
Quote examples
Jack Ma
Chinese Businessman
I want to stress the importance of being fair to our readers. You should not impose your own view and prejudice on the readers and try to lead them to a conclusion. As a reader, I understand what a fair report is.
Quote examples
Jack Keane
American General
When you had thugs and bullies and killers imposing their will on their own people or other people - if you don't respond to it, it just keeps coming because they're encouraged by their own success.
Quote examples
Thomas Sowell
American Economist
President Obama seems completely unaware of how many of the policies he is trying to impose have been tried before, in many times and places around the world, and have failed time and again.
Quote examples
Zico
Brazilian Coach
For me dialogue is as essential in football as in life. I like to talk to my players and I never impose anything, I always give them the chance to make their own choices.
Quote examples
Franz Kafka
Novelist
By imposing too great a responsibility, or rather, all responsibility, on yourself, you crush yourself.
Quote examples
Naguib Mahfouz
Egyptian Novelist
Winning Nobel imposed on me a lifestyle to which I am not used and which I would not have preferred.
Quote examples
Sergei Lavrov
Russian Diplomat
Russia would not support anything which would be actually imposed on Syrians.
Quote examples
Avigdor Lieberman
Israeli Politician
It's impossible to impose peace, only to create it.
Example 1 of 10
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