Adjacent Words

Enforce definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ENFO'RCE, v.t.
1. To give strength to; to strengthen; to invigorate. [See Def.5.]
2. To make or gain by force; to force; as, to enforce a passage.
3. To put in act by violence; to drive.
Stones enforced from the old Assyrian slings.
4. To instigate; to urge on; to animate.
5. To urge with energy; to give force to; to impress on the mind; as, to enforce remarks or arguments.
6. To compel; to constrain; to force.
7. To put in execution; to cause to take effect; as, to enforce the laws.
8. To press with a charge.
9. To prove; to evince. [Little used.]
ENFO'RCE, v.i. To attempt by force. [Not used.]
ENFO'RCE, n. Force; strength; power. [Not used.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: ensure observance of laws and rules; "Apply the rules to everyone"; [syn: enforce, implement, apply] [ant: exempt, free, relieve]
2: compel to behave in a certain way; "Social relations impose courtesy" [syn: enforce, impose]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French enforcer, from en- + force force Date: 14th century 1. to give force to ; strengthen 2. to urge with energy <enforce arguments> 3. constrain, compel <enforce obedience> 4. obsolete to effect or gain by force 5. to carry out effectively <enforce laws> • enforceability noun • enforceable adjective • enforcement noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 compel observance of (a law etc.). 2 (foll. by on, upon) impose (an action, conduct, one's will). 3 persist in (a demand or argument). Derivatives: enforceable adj. enforceability n. enforcedly adv. enforcer n. Etymology: ME f. OF enforcir, -ier ult. f. L fortis strong

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Enforce En*force", n. Force; strength; power. [Obs.] A petty enterprise of small enforce. --Milton.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Enforce En*force", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Enforced; p. pr. & vb. n. Enforcing.] [OF. enforcier to strengthen, force, F. enforcir; pref. en- (L. in) + F. force. See Force.] 1. To put force upon; to force; to constrain; to compel; as, to enforce obedience to commands. Inward joy enforced my heart to smile. --Shak. 2. To make or gain by force; to obtain by force; as, to enforce a passage. ``Enforcing furious way.'' --Spenser. 3. To put in motion or action by violence; to drive. As swift as stones Enforced from the old Assyrian slings. --Shak. 4. To give force to; to strengthen; to invigorate; to urge with energy; as, to enforce arguments or requests. Enforcing sentiment of the thrust humanity. --Burke. 5. To put in force; to cause to take effect; to give effect to; to execute with vigor; as, to enforce the laws. 6. To urge; to ply hard; to lay much stress upon. Enforce him with his envy to the people. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Enforce En*force, v. i. 1. To attempt by force. [Obs.] 2. To prove; to evince. [R.] --Hooker. 3. To strengthen; to grow strong. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(enforces, enforcing, enforced) 1. If people in authority enforce a law or a rule, they make sure that it is obeyed, usually by punishing people who do not obey it. Until now, the government has only enforced the ban with regard to American ships... VERB: V n 2. To enforce something means to force or cause it to be done or to happen. They struggled to limit the cost by enforcing a low-tech specification... David is now living in Beirut again after an enforced absence. VERB: V n, V-ed

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Give force to, urge with energy, set forth strongly, impress on the mind. 2. Put in execution, put in force, compel obedience to, have executed or obeyed. 3. Constrain, compel, oblige, force, require.

Moby Thesaurus

abide by, accomplish, adhere to, administer, apply, bestow, bind, bring to bear, browbeat, bully, carry out, carry through, cause, cause to, coerce, compel, complete, constrain, demand, discharge, dose, dose with, drive, effect, effectuate, enforce upon, execute, fill out, force, force upon, fulfill, give, have, honor, impel, implement, impose, impose on, impose upon, impress upon, inflict, insist on, insist upon, intimidate, invoke, lay on, lean on, make, make out, mete out to, oblige, observe, perform, prescribe for, press, promulgate, prosecute, put in force, put in practice, put into effect, put into execution, put on, put through, put to use, put upon, railroad, reinforce, render, require, restrain, stress, support, tie, transact, use force upon