Enjoin

//ɛnˈd͡ʒɔɪn// verb

verb ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To lay upon, as an order or command; to give an injunction to; to direct with authority; to order; to charge. literary, transitive

    "I am enjoin'd by oath to observe three things:"

  2. 2
    give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority wordnet
  3. 3
    To prescribe under authority; to ordain. transitive

    "They [the Noahide laws] also enjoin the establishment of a just system of laws and courts."

  4. 4
    issue an injunction wordnet
  5. 5
    To prohibit or restrain by a judicial order or decree; to put an injunction on. transitive

    "In 1983, BLM was enjoined by court order from using any herbicides in its Medford, Oregon District. Subsequent court action in 1984 enjoined BLM from the use of herbicides throughout Oregon and the U.S. Forest Service was similarly enjoined throughout Region 6 (Pacific Northwest)."

Synonyms

All synonyms
orderadjureadmonishadviseappointappreciate

Example

More examples

"I now enjoin you to take hands and make your vows."

Etymology

From Middle English enjoinen, from Old French enjoindre (“to join with”), from Latin iniungo (“to attach”), a compound of in- (“into” “upon”) and iungo.

Related phrases

preliminarily enjoin

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.