impose
UK /ɪmˈpəʊz/ · US /ɪmˈpoʊz/ verb, noun
Forms imposes imposing imposed imposest imposedst imposeth
- verb (archaic) To physically lay or place (something) on another thing; to deposit, to put, to set.
- verb (Christianity) To lay or place (one's hands) on someone as a blessing, during rites of confirmation, ordination, etc.
- verb (printing) To lay (columns or pages of type, or printing plates) arranged in a proper order on the bed of a press or an imposing stone and secure them in a chase in preparation for printing.
- verb To apply, enforce, or establish (something, often regarded as burdensome as a restriction or tax: see verb sense 1.2.2) with authority. “Congress imposed new tariffs.”
- verb To place or put (something chiefly immaterial, especially something regarded as burdensome as a duty, an encumbrance, a penalty, etc.) on another thing or on someone; to inflict, to repose; also, to place or put (on someone a chiefly immaterial thing, especially something regarded as burdensome). “Social relations impose courtesy.”
- verb To force or put (a thing) on someone or something by deceit or stealth; to foist, to obtrude.
- verb (UK, school or university slang) To subject (a student) to imposition (“a task inflicted as punishment”).
- verb (archaic or obsolete) To appoint (someone) to be in authority or command over other people.
- noun (obsolete) An act of placing or putting on something chiefly immaterial, especially something regarded as burdensome as a duty, a task, etc.; an imposition.
Synonyms
lay presume enjoin force inflict enforce bring down visit levy
Etymology
The verb is derived from Late Middle English imposen (“to place, set; to impose (a duty, etc.)”), borrowed from Middle French imposer, and Old French emposer, enposer (“to impose (a duty, tax, etc.)”) (modern French imposer), from im-, em- (variants of en- (prefix meaning ‘in, into’)) + poser (“to place, put”), modelled after:
* Latin impōnere (“to place or set (something) on; (figurative) to impose (a duty, tax, etc.)”), from im- (variant of in- (prefix meaning ‘on, upon’)) + pōnō (“to place, put; etc.”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂pó, *h₂epó (“away; off”) + *tḱey- (“to cultivate; to live; to settle”)); and
* Latin impositus (“established; put upon, imposed”), the perfect passive participle of impōnō: see above.
The noun is derived from the verb.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To lay on; to set or place; to put; to deposit.
- verb To lay as a charge, burden, tax, duty, obligation, command, penalty, etc.; to enjoin; to levy; to inflict; as, to impose a toll or tribute.
- verb To practice trick or deception. To impose on or upon, to pass or put a trick on; to delude. "He imposes on himself, and mistakes words for things." Locke.
- noun A command; injunction. [Obs.] Shak.
Etymology [F. imposer; pref. im- in + poser to place. See Pose, v. t.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “impose”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details