enforce

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

Also spelled inforce

US /ɪnˈfoɹs/ UK /ɪnˈfɔːs/ See IPA manual

Freq #14317

Meanings

1

verb
To make sure a law, rule, or agreement is obeyed.

The police are there to enforce the law.
2

verb
To force someone to do something or make something happen.

The new manager enforced strict deadlines on the whole team.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 verb · to force someone to do... compel

Word family

Forms enforcedenforcesenforcinginforced

Derived forms enforceabilityenforceableenforcedlyenforcement enforcerenforcinglyenforcivemisenforcenonenforcednonenforcingre-enforcereenforce

Appears in

Phrases (2)

See all

enforce a law
to ensure a law is obeyed and to punish those who break it

Verb + noun
enforce a rule
to ensure that a rule is obeyed and applied consistently

Verb + noun

Etymology

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

enforcen Middle English enforcier Old French infortiāre la-lat

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# enforce

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈfoɹs/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪnˈfɔːs/
**Frequency rank:** 14317

## Meanings
1. To make sure a law, rule, or agreement is obeyed.
2. To force someone to do something or make something happen.

## Examples
- The police are there to enforce the law.
- The new manager enforced strict deadlines on the whole team.

## Derived Forms
- enforceability
- enforceable
- enforcedly
- enforcement
- enforcer
- enforcingly
- enforcive
- misenforce
- nonenforced
- nonenforcing
- re-enforce
- reenforce

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: enforcen
- Root: enforcier
- Root: infortiāre

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

## AI Etymology
Enforce comes from Middle English enforcen, from Old French enforcier, from Late Latin infortiāre, from in- + fortis (“strong”). In current use, the main senses are “To make sure a law, rule, or agreement is obeyed” and “To force someone to do something or make something happen”.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

markdown