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to enforce

to enforce

417 4.1
Make people follow a law or rule using authority
  • verb
  • /ɪnˈfɔrs/
translation icon : hacer cumplir
  • And how are states going to enforce or regulate that access?
  • enforce the law
  • enforce the rules
  • enforce public order

I mean because you want to enforce your way of life on others.

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Examples

  • Criminal justice, it's tied in with how we enforce the laws, how we punish people.

  • And we"re going to enforce the law!

  • Can Congress tell the states they have to enforce federal law?

  • the United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our border.

  • I say we enforce the laws that are already on the books.

  • Now let's see you enforce it.

  • We are now enforcing a new dress code at South Park Elementary.

  • They're doing their job enforcing the law set in Downing St.

  • The agency declared at the time that it would now aggressively enforce anti-discrimination statutes.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The police will enforce the curfew to ensure everyone stays safe.

Synonyms

to uphold
vsto enforce
176 4.4

To support and keep a law, decision, or belief in effect

acts to make people follow the law rather than just defend it
to keep in line
vsto enforce
35 4.2

Control people so they behave properly

uses formal power to ensure rules are obeyed

Antonyms

to exempt
  • Formal
30 4.1

To free someone officially from a rule or obligation

Phrasal Verbs

Keep people or places apart to stop disease spreading

How Forceful

to coerce
  • Offensive
91 6.4
to compel
258 4.8
to force
2.3
to enforce
417 4.1
to require
1.1

Surface Forms

enforce infinitive
enforced past
enforced past participle
enforcing present participle
enforces third person singular

Morphology

enforce = force (transparent) = en + force

The verb is formed by prefixing en- (causative) to 'force', so learners who know 'force' and the prefix can infer the meaning.

Etymology

The word enforce comes from the parts en- meaning 'in' and force meaning 'strength' or 'power'. So, to enforce a rule is to 'put strength into' it, which is why it means to use power to make people obey.