impose

verb im·pose \ im-ˈpōz \

|Updated on: 1 Aug 2018

Examples: impose in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of impose

imposed; imposing

transitive verb

1 a : to establish or apply by authority

impose a tax

impose new restrictions

impose penalties

b : to establish or bring about as if by force

those limits imposed by our own inadequacies
—C. H. Plimpton

2 a : place, set

b : to arrange (type, pages, etc.) in the proper order for printing

3 : pass off

impose fake antiques on the public

4 : to force into the company or on the attention of another

impose oneself on others

intransitive verb

: to take unwarranted advantage of something

imposed on his good nature

—

imposer

noun

See impose defined for English-language learners

See impose defined for kids

Examples of impose in a Sentence

The judge imposed a life sentence.
I needed to break free from the limits imposed by my own fear of failure.

Recent Examples of impose from the Web

In the House, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill this week that would require the Trump administration to win congressional approval before imposing such tariffs.

— andrew duehren, WSJ, "Some GOP Lawmakers Seek to Rein In Trump on Trade," 13 July 2018
Beijing responded by imposing similar duties on the same amount of U.S. imports.

— yanan wang, chicagotribune.com, "Emanuel, hoping to lock in Chicago rail car factory, meets Chinese VP amid trade dispute," 12 July 2018
China immediately retaliated by imposing its own tariffs of the same weight.

— madeleine ngo, Vox, "Trump just intensified his trade war with China," 11 July 2018
Trump has imposed tariffs on Canadian lumber and paper, raising the cost of newsprint for American newspapers.

— john schmid, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Trump's global trade war expected to inflict economic causalities in Wisconsin and across nation," 10 July 2018
China quickly responded by imposing tariffs on $34 billion in U.S. products.

— samuel chamberlain, Fox News, "US to impose new tariffs on additional $200B worth of Chinese imports," 10 July 2018
Trump has also clashed with allies over his decisions to withdraw the United States from the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris climate accord and, more recently, by imposing heavy tariffs that have prompted trade wars.

— noah bierman, latimes.com, "Trump heads to Europe amid frayed alliances, and worries about his tilt to Putin," 9 July 2018
In fact, the White House is preparing to open up a new front in that conflict, by imposing duties on European automobiles.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "On Eve of Trade War, China Warns That Trump’s Tariffs Will Backfire," 5 July 2018
Wimbledon, the oldest and most prestigious tournament in the tennis world, has imposed some version of an all-white dress code for players since 1963.

— samuel hine, GQ, "Rebel Streetwear Brand Palace Has Crashed Wimbledon," 3 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'impose.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

The Latin imposui meant "put upon", and that meaning carried over into English in impose. A CEO may impose a new manager on one of the company's plants. A state may impose new taxes on luxury items or cigarettes, and the federal government sometimes imposes trade restrictions on another country to punish it. A polite apology might begin with "I hope I'm not imposing on you" (that is, "forcing my presence on you"). And a self-imposed deadline is one that you decide to hold yourself to.

Origin and Etymology of impose

Middle French imposer, from Latin imponere, literally, to put upon (perfect indicative imposui), from in- + ponere to put — more at position

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1581

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

impose Synonyms

IMPOSE Defined for English Language Learners

impose

verb

Definition of impose for English Language Learners

: to cause (something, such as a tax, fine, rule, or punishment) to affect someone or something by using your authority
: to establish or create (something unwanted) in a forceful or harmful way
: to force someone to accept (something or yourself)