en·force

(ĕn-fôrs′)

tr.v. en·forced, en·forc·ing, en·forc·es

1. To compel observance of or obedience to: enforce a law.

2. To impose (a kind of behavior, for example): enforce military discipline.

3. To give force to; reinforce: "enforces its plea with a description of the pains of hell" (Albert C. Baugh).

[Middle English enforcen, from Old French enforcier, to exert force, compel, and from enforcir, to strengthen : en-, causative pref.; see en-¹ + force, strength; see force.]

en·force′a·bil′i·ty n.

en·force′a·ble adj.

en·force′ment n.

en·forc′er n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

enforce

(ɪnˈfɔːs)

vb (tr)

1. to ensure observance of or obedience to (a law, decision, etc)

2. to impose (obedience, loyalty, etc) by or as by force

3. to emphasize or reinforce (an argument, demand, etc)

enˈforceable adj

enˌforceaˈbility n

enforcedly adv

enˈforcement n

enˈforcer n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

en•force

(ɛnˈfɔrs, -ˈfoʊrs)

v.t. -forced, -forc•ing.

1. to put or keep in force; compel obedience to: to enforce a law.

2. to obtain by force or compulsion; compel: to enforce obedience.

3. to impose (a course of action) upon a person.

4. to support by force.

5. to impress or urge forcibly.

[1275–1325; Middle English < Anglo-French enforcer, Old French enforcier, enforc(ir)=en- en-¹ + forci(e)r to force]

en•force′a•ble, adj.

en•force`a•bil′i•ty, n.

en•forc′ed•ly, adv.

en•force′ment, n.

enforce

Past participle: enforced
Gerund: enforcing

Imperative
enforce
enforce

Present
I enforce
you enforce
he/she/it enforces
we enforce
you enforce
they enforce

Preterite
I enforced
you enforced
he/she/it enforced
we enforced
you enforced
they enforced

Present Continuous
I am enforcing
you are enforcing
he/she/it is enforcing
we are enforcing
you are enforcing
they are enforcing

Present Perfect
I have enforced
you have enforced
he/she/it has enforced
we have enforced
you have enforced
they have enforced

Past Continuous
I was enforcing
you were enforcing
he/she/it was enforcing
we were enforcing
you were enforcing
they were enforcing

Past Perfect
I had enforced
you had enforced
he/she/it had enforced
we had enforced
you had enforced
they had enforced

Future
I will enforce
you will enforce
he/she/it will enforce
we will enforce
you will enforce
they will enforce

Future Perfect
I will have enforced
you will have enforced
he/she/it will have enforced
we will have enforced
you will have enforced
they will have enforced

Future Continuous
I will be enforcing
you will be enforcing
he/she/it will be enforcing
we will be enforcing
you will be enforcing
they will be enforcing

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been enforcing
you have been enforcing
he/she/it has been enforcing
we have been enforcing
you have been enforcing
they have been enforcing

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been enforcing
you will have been enforcing
he/she/it will have been enforcing
we will have been enforcing
you will have been enforcing
they will have been enforcing

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been enforcing
you had been enforcing
he/she/it had been enforcing
we had been enforcing
you had been enforcing
they had been enforcing

Conditional
I would enforce
you would enforce
he/she/it would enforce
we would enforce
you would enforce
they would enforce

Past Conditional
I would have enforced
you would have enforced
he/she/it would have enforced
we would have enforced
you would have enforced
they would have enforced

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Verb	1.	enforce - ensure observance of laws and rules; "Apply the rules to everyone"; implement, apply compel, obligate, oblige - force somebody to do something; "We compel all students to fill out this form" execute, run - carry out a process or program, as on a computer or a machine; "Run the dishwasher"; "run a new program on the Mac"; "the computer executed the instruction" execute - carry out the legalities of; "execute a will or a deed" exempt, relieve, free - grant relief or an exemption from a rule or requirement to; "She exempted me from the exam"
	2.	enforce - compel to behave in a certain way; "Social relations impose courtesy" impose compel, obligate, oblige - force somebody to do something; "We compel all students to fill out this form"

enforce

verb

1. carry out, apply, implement, fulfil, execute, administer, put into effect, put into action, put into operation, put in force The measures are being enforced by Interior Ministry troops.

2. impose, force, require, urge, insist on, compel, exact, oblige, constrain, coerce They tried to limit the cost by enforcing a low-tech specification.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

enforce

verb

To compel observance of:

carry out, effect, execute, implement, invoke.

Idioms: put in force, put into action.

Translations

يَفْرِض، يُلْزِم

gennemtvingehåndhæve

erzwingen

aplicar ejecutar hacer cumplir imponer

appliquer

framfylgja

applicare estorcere imporre

vykdymas

ieviest/iedzīvināt

håndheve innskjerpe sette igjennom

uveljaviti

uygulamak

实施执行

enforce

[ɪnˈfɔːs] VT

1. (= make effective) [+ law] → hacer cumplir; [+ argument] → imponer; [+ claim] → hacer valer; [+ rights] → hacer respetar; [+ demand] → insistir en; [+ sentence] → ejecutar

2. (= compel) [+ obedience, attendance] → imponer (on a)

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

enforce

[ɪnˈfɔː^rs] vt (= impose) [+ rule, law] → appliquer; [+ ban] → imposer; [+ ceasefire, embargo] → décréter

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

enforce

→ durchführen, Geltung verschaffen (+dat); one’s claims, rights → geltend machen; discipline → sorgen für, schaffen; decision, policy, ban, ruling → durchsetzen; measures → durchführen; sanctions → verhängen; the police enforce the law → die Polizei sorgt für die Einhaltung der Gesetze; to enforce silence/obedience → sich (dat) → Ruhe/Gehorsam verschaffen; to enforce something (up)on somebody → jdm etw aufzwingen

(rare, = give force to) demand → Nachdruck verschaffen (+dat); argument → stützen, untermauern

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

enforce

[ɪnˈfɔːs] vt (decision, policy) → attuare; (law, regulation) → far osservare, far rispettare; (obedience) → imporre; (argument) → rafforzare

enforce

(inˈfoːs) verb

to cause (a law, a command, one's own will etc) to be carried out. There is a law against dropping litter but it is rarely enforced.

enˈforcement noun

enforce

v. [rules, law] hacer cumplir;

___ the law → hacer cumplir la ley.

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

While the strict legal right may exist in the government to enforce the exercise of these offices, the attempt to do so would be so irritating, and so nearly impracticable withal, that I deem it better to forego for the time the uses of such offices.

View in context

The history of Germany is a history of wars between the emperor and the princes and states; of wars among the princes and states themselves; of the licentiousness of the strong, and the oppression of the weak; of foreign intrusions, and foreign intrigues; of requisitions of men and money disregarded, or partially complied with; of attempts to enforce them, altogether abortive, or attended with slaughter and desolation, involving the innocent with the guilty; of general inbecility, confusion, and misery.

The consequence was that the city was put under the ban of the empire, and the Duke of Bavaria, though director of another circle, obtained an appointment to enforce it.

This tribunal, under an oath of impartiality, pronounces definitive sentence, which all the cantons are bound to enforce. The competency of this regulation may be estimated by a clause in their treaty of 1683, with Victor Amadeus of Savoy; in which he obliges himself to interpose as mediator in disputes between the cantons, and to employ force, if necessary, against the contumacious party.

View in context

It remains essentially right, a pamphlet story--in support of the League to Enforce Peace.

View in context

Beware of sudden change, in any great point of diet, and, if necessity enforce it, fit the rest to it.

View in context

An officer of the Government, whose duty it is to enforce the wishes of the legislative power until such time as the judicial department shall be pleased to pronounce them invalid and of no effect.

In morals, an indulgence that enforces by appropriate penalties the law of moderation.

View in context

Such is the resentment of the people against the Stamp- Duty, that there can be no dependence upon the General Court to take any steps to enforce, or rather advise, to the payment of it.

View in context

It was in the court outside the treasury that my cousin and I met, to enforce the laws of discipline on our own soldiers.

View in context

The Philippine Navy should join the freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) to enforce the arbitral ruling that invalidated China's claims to most of the South China Sea.

Philippine Navy urged to join freedom of navigation patrols of naval powers

The Philippines is set to enforce the laws on its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) as the mutual agreement between President Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping is yet to be formalized, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said.

Nograles: PH to enforce laws on EEZ