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impose

verb
/ɪmˈpəʊz/UK/ɪmˈpoʊz/CA/ɪmˈpəʉz/

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.

  1. derived from impositus — “established; put upon, imposed”
  2. derived from *h₂pó✻
  3. derived from impōnō — “to place or set (something) on; (figurative) to impose (a duty, tax, etc.)”
  4. derived from emposer
  5. derived from imposer
  6. inherited from imposen — “to place, set; to impose (a duty, etc.)”

Definitions

  1. To physically lay or place (something) on another thing

    To physically lay or place (something) on another thing; to deposit, to put, to set.

    • [H]is Svvaine / Strevv'd faire greene Oſiers; and impoſ'd thereon / A good ſoft Sheepeskin, vvhich made him a Throne.

  2. To apply, enforce, or establish (something, often regarded as burdensome as a restriction…

    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.
    • Sanctions were imposed on the country that had made an unprovoked attack on its neighbour.
    • In crueltie and outrage ſhe did pas, / To proue her ſurname true, that ſhe impoſed has.

  3. To place or put (something chiefly immaterial, especially something regarded as…

    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.
    • VVhat Fates impoſe, that men muſt needs abide; / It boots not to reſiſt both vvinde and tide.
  4. ›+ 7 more definitions

    1. To force or put (a thing) on someone or something by deceit or stealth

      To force or put (a thing) on someone or something by deceit or stealth; to foist, to obtrude.

    2. To subject (a student) to imposition (“a task inflicted as punishment”).

    3. To appoint (someone) to be in authority or command over other people.

    4. To accuse someone of (a crime, or a sin or other wrongdoing)

      To accuse someone of (a crime, or a sin or other wrongdoing); to charge, to impute.

      • So, if a Sonne that is by his Father ſent about Merchandize, doe ſinfully miſcarry vpon the Sea; the imputation of his vvickedneſſe, by your rule, ſhould be impoſed vpon his Father that ſent him: […]
      • On him the King (in madneſſe ſo enrag'd) / Impoſde my death, himſelfe thereto that gag'd.
      • Thou falſely impoſeſt a capital crime upon him [Jesus], namely, that he made himſelf a King, whereas he never uſed any royal ornaments, according to the pomp of this world.

    5. To put (a conclusion or end) to something definitively.

      • [G]uards vvere held, at all parts, dayes and nights, / For feare of falſe ſurpriſe before, they had impoſde the crovvne / To theſe ſolemnities.

    6. Chiefly followed by on or upon.

      • But I perceive they do think that I know too much, and shall impose upon whomever shall come next, and therefore must be removed, […]
      • From no task Thou, Creator, imposedst! Creation / Revealed me no object, from insect to Man, / But bore Thy hand's impress: […]

    7. An act of placing or putting on something chiefly immaterial, especially something…

      An act of placing or putting on something chiefly immaterial, especially something regarded as burdensome as a duty, a task, etc.; an imposition.

      • According to your Ladiſhips impoſe, / I am thus early come, to knovv vvhat ſeruice / It is your pleaſure to command me in.

The neighborhood

Derived

imposability, imposable, imposal, imposed, imposement, imposer, imposex, imposing, imposing stone, imposing table, imposure, nonimposed, overimpose, preimpose, reimpose, reimposer, self-impose, self-imposed, subimpose, superimpose, superimposed, superimposer, superimposing, superimposure, unimposed

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at impose. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01impose02chiefly03chief04tribe05clan06defined07low08compare09assess

A definitional loop anchored at impose. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

9 hops · closes at impose

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA