What does "enforce" mean?
To keep up, impose or bring into effect something, not necessarily by force.
Enforce
/ɪnˈfoɹs/ verb
verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To keep up, impose or bring into effect something, not necessarily by force.
- Grammar: enforce is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: impose, abide by, accomplish, actuating.
- Useful contrasts: unexecuted contract, void warranty, voided clause.
- Usage evidence: The government must enforce the law immediately.
How to use "enforce"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "enforce" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "enforce" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "enforce" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "enforce" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "enforce" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "impose" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "enforce", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To keep up, impose or bring into effect something, not necessarily by force.
"The police are there to enforce the law."
- 2 ensure observance of laws and rules wordnet
- 3 To give strength or force to; to affirm, to emphasize.
"The victim was able to enforce his evidence against the alleged perpetrator."
- 4 compel to behave in a certain way wordnet
- 5 To strengthen (a castle, town etc.) with extra troops, fortifications etc. obsolete, transitive
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 To intensify, make stronger, add force to. obsolete, transitive
- 7 To exert oneself, to try hard. obsolete, reflexive
"I pray you enforce youreselff at that justis that ye may be beste, for my love."
- 8 To compel, oblige (someone or something); to force. obsolete
"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."
- 9 To make or gain by force; to force. obsolete
"to enforce a passage"
- 10 To put in motion or action by violence; to drive. obsolete
"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"
- 11 To give force to; to strengthen; to invigorate; to energize. obsolete
"to enforce arguments or requests"
- 12 To urge; to ply hard; to lay much stress upon. obsolete
"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."
- 13 To prove; to evince. obsolete
"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?"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The government must enforce the law immediately."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "enforce"?
Common synonyms include: impose, abide by, accomplish, actuating, adhere to, administer.
How do you use "enforce" in a sentence?
The government must enforce the law immediately.
How do you pronounce "enforce"?
Pronounced /ɪnˈfoɹs/.
Etymology
From Middle English enforcen, from Old French enforcier, from Late Latin infortiāre, from in- + fortis (“strong”).