Dictionary

enforce en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Received-Pronunciation)
• (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ɪnˈfoɹs/ (General-American)
• /-ˈfoəs/ non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
• /-ˈfo(ː)ɹs/ rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
• /ɪnˈfɔːs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• -fōrsʹ rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
• ĭnfôrsʹ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English enforcen, from Old French enforcier, from Late Latin infortiāre, from in- + fortis (“strong”).

Meanings

1. To keep up, impose or bring into effect something, not necessarily by force.
   • Far from needing to be repealed, the ban on politics in the pulpit ought to be enforced more aggressively. 2013 September 8, “The pulpit should be free of politics”, in Los Angeles Times:
   • 1929, Chiang Kai-shek, quoted in “Nationalist Notes,” Time, 11 February, 1929, Our task is only half finished. It will be my duty to enforce the decisions of the conference and I hereby pledge myself to that end.
   • The police are there to enforce the law.
2. To apply a rule or enforcement action to a person or user account.
   • This will give us the tools we need to enforce accounts like these.
3. To give strength or force to; to affirm, to emphasize.
   • The victim was able to enforce his evidence against the alleged perpetrator.
4. (obsolete, transitive) To strengthen (a castle, town etc.) with extra troops, fortifications etc.
5. (obsolete, transitive) To intensify, make stronger, add force to.
6. (obsolete, reflexive) To exert oneself, to try hard.
   • I pray you enforce youreselff at that justis that ye may be beste, for my love. 1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “(please specify the chapter)”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book VII, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, →OCLC:
7. (obsolete) To compel, oblige (someone or something); to force.
   • In a few minutes I was stealthily groping my way down my own staircase, with a box of matches in my hand, enforced by scientific curiosity, but none the less armed with a stick. 1899, E. OE. Somerville, Martin Ross, Some Experiences of an Irish R.M., Great Uncle McCarthy:
   • Uladislaus the Second, King of Poland, and Peter Dunnius, Earl of Shrine[…]had been hunting late, and were enforced to lodge in a poor cottage. 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition I, section 2, member 4, subsection iv:
   • Sweete prince I come, these these thy amorous lines, / Might haue enforst me to haue swum from France, / And like Leander gaspt vpon the sande, / So thou wouldst smile and take me in thy armes. 1594, Christopher Marlow[e], The Troublesome Raigne and Lamentable Death of Edward the Second, King of England: […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press] for Henry Bell, […], published 1622, →OCLC, (please specify the page):
8. (obsolete) To make or gain by force; to force.
   • to enforce a passage
   • Ne shame he thought to shonne so hideous might, / The ydle stroke, enforcing furious way, / Missing the marke of his misaymed sight / Did fall to ground […] 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 106:
9. (obsolete) To put in motion or action by violence; to drive.
   • If they’ll do neither, we will come to them, / And make them skirr away, as swift as stones / Enforced from the old Assyrian slings: 1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vii]:
   • Auster and Aquilon with winged Steeds All ſweating, tilt about the watery heauens, With ſhiuering ſpeares enforcing thunderclaps, And from their ſhields ſtrike flames of lightening c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene ii:
10. (obsolete) To give force to; to strengthen; to invigorate; to energize.
    • [T]he eloquence of the declaration, not contradicting, but enforcing sentiments of the truest humanity, has left stings that have penetrated more than skin-deep into my mind […] 1796, Edmund Burke, “Letter I. On the Overtures of Peace.”, in Two Letters Addressed to a Member of the Present Parliament on the Proposals for Peace with the Regicide Directory of France, London: […] F[rancis] and C[harles] Rivington, […], published 20 October 1796, →OCLC, page 60:
    • to enforce arguments or requests
11. (obsolete) To urge; to ply hard; to lay much stress upon.
    • In this point charge him home, that he affects / Tyrannical power: if he evade us there, / Enforce him with his envy to the people, / And that the spoil got on the Antiates / Was ne’er distributed. c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
12. (obsolete) To prove; to evince.
    • But what argument are ye able to shew, whereby it was euer prooued by Caluin, that any one sentence of Scripture doth necessarily enforce these things, or the rest wherein your opinion concurreth with his against the orders of your owne Church? [1594], Richard Hooker, “A Preface to Them that Seeke (as They Tearme It) the Reformation of Lawes and Orders Ecclesiasticall, in the Church of England”, in J[ohn] S[penser], editor, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], 3rd edition, London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, book I:

Forms

Deriveds

enforcibility · unenforced · misenforce · enforceable · enforcement · nonenforced · nonenforcing · overenforce · reenforce · underenforce · enforcedly · enforceability · enforcingly · enforcive · enforcer · re-enforce

Translations (89)

it far valere (to affirm) · cs posilovat (''(obsolete in English)'' to strengthen) · es enforzar (to keep up) · mi whakauruhi (to keep up) · it costringere ((obsolete in English) to compel) · cmn 實施 /实施 (to keep up) · hu igyekszik ((obsolete in English) to exert oneself, try hard) · hu rákényszerít ((obsolete in English) to compel) · fi vahvistaa (to affirm) · es hacer cumplir/respetar (to keep up) · bg налагам (to keep up) · sv upprätthålla (to keep up) · fi pakottaa ((obsolete in English) to compel) · cs přinutit ((obsolete in English) to compel) · fr obliger ((obsolete in English) to compel) · hu érvényesít (to keep up) · ro obliga ((obsolete in English) to exert oneself, try hard) · it rispettare (to keep up) · fi vahvistaa (''(obsolete in English)'' to strengthen) · eo devigi ((obsolete in English) to compel) · fr intensifier (''(obsolete in English)'' to intensify) · ka აღასრულებს (to keep up) · pt reforçar (''(obsolete in English)'' to strengthen) · cs zesilovat (''(obsolete in English)'' to intensify) · hu érvényt szerez (to keep up) · eo eldevigi (to keep up) · de durchsetzen (to keep up) · nl versterken (''(obsolete in English)'' to strengthen) · hu felerősít (''(obsolete in English)'' to intensify) · it imporre ((obsolete in English) to compel) · fi valvoa (to keep up) · sv förstärka (''(obsolete in English)'' to strengthen) · cs prosazovat (to keep up) · hu ösztönöz ((obsolete in English) to compel) · hu kikényszerít (to keep up) · hu betartat (to keep up) · cs přinucovat ((obsolete in English) to compel) · hu hangsúlyoz (to affirm) · hu megerőlteti magát ((obsolete in English) to exert oneself, try hard) · ro întări (''(obsolete in English)'' to strengthen) · it intensificare (''(obsolete in English)'' to intensify) · bg укрепявам (''(obsolete in English)'' to strengthen) · cmn 執行 /执行 (to keep up) · hu erőfeszítést tesz ((obsolete in English) to exert oneself, try hard) · fi vahvistaa (''(obsolete in English)'' to intensify) · hu keresztülvisz (to keep up) · cs vynucovat (to keep up) · hu fenntart (to keep up) · hu megvalósít (to keep up) · hu fokoz (''(obsolete in English)'' to intensify) · bg принуждавам ((obsolete in English) to compel) · de vollstrecken (to keep up) · hu késztet ((obsolete in English) to compel) · cs vynutit (to keep up) · cs posílit (''(obsolete in English)'' to strengthen) · ka აღსრულება (to keep up) · nl handhaven (to keep up) · it sforzare ((obsolete in English) to exert oneself, try hard) · hu megerősít (to affirm) · it rafforzare (''(obsolete in English)'' to strengthen) · hu érvényre juttat (to keep up) · it fare rispettare (to keep up) · bg настоявам (to affirm) · hu kényszerít ((obsolete in English) to compel) · it forzare ((obsolete in English) to compel) · cs udržovat (to keep up) · it applicare (to keep up) · it obbligare ((obsolete in English) to compel) · hu megszilárdít (''(obsolete in English)'' to strengthen) · cs vynucovat ((obsolete in English) to exert oneself, try hard) · ga cuir i bhfeidhm (to keep up) · hu erősít (''(obsolete in English)'' to intensify) · fi ylläpitää (to keep up) · fr imposer ((obsolete in English) to compel) · fr renforcer (''(obsolete in English)'' to strengthen) · cs zesílit (''(obsolete in English)'' to intensify) · hu indít ((obsolete in English) to compel) · hu megerősít (''(obsolete in English)'' to strengthen) · hu kierőszakol (to keep up) · hu elfogadtat (to keep up) · cs vynutit ((obsolete in English) to exert oneself, try hard) · de durchsetzen ((obsolete in English) to exert oneself, try hard) · el ισχυροποιώ (''(obsolete in English)'' to strengthen) · ota صالمق (to keep up) · fi käyttää ((obsolete in English) to exert oneself, try hard) · nb håndheve (to affirm) · cs potvrdit (to affirm) · hu végrehajt (to keep up) · cs potvrzovat (to affirm)