enforced; enforcing; enforces
1
: to give force to : strengthen
2
: to urge with energy
enforce arguments
4
obsolete
: to effect or gain by force
5
: to carry out effectively
enforce laws
Examples of enforce in a Sentence
Police will be enforcing the parking ban.
the duty of the police is to enforce the law
Recent Examples on the Web
During my First Term, few were more effective or tenacious than Peter in enforcing my two sacred rules, Buy American, Hire American.
—
Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Smart contracts can enforce quality checks, reputation scores, and dispute resolution mechanisms.
—Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
The very policies and practices that had sustained Black business districts under segregation — captive markets, enforced proximity, and a philosophy of economic self-reliance —were suddenly undermined once Black consumers could freely choose mainstream establishments.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
The administration has griped about the large fines that the EU has levied as a result of their privacy laws and antitrust laws that are significantly more stringent and enforced more frequently in Europe than in the United States.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
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Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Smart contracts can enforce quality checks, reputation scores, and dispute resolution mechanisms.
—Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
The very policies and practices that had sustained Black business districts under segregation — captive markets, enforced proximity, and a philosophy of economic self-reliance —were suddenly undermined once Black consumers could freely choose mainstream establishments.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
The administration has griped about the large fines that the EU has levied as a result of their privacy laws and antitrust laws that are significantly more stringent and enforced more frequently in Europe than in the United States.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enforce
Cite this Entry
“Enforce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enforce. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
enforce
verb
en·force
in-ˈfō(ə)rs 
-ˈfȯ(ə)rs
1
: to bring about by force : compel
enforce obedience
2
: to carry out effectively
enforce the law
Legal Definition
enforce
transitive verb
en·force
enforced; enforcing
: to cause to take effect or to be fulfilled
enforcing the divorce decree
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation—U.S. Constitution amend. XIX
U.S. Constitution amend. XIXLove words? Need even more definitions?
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