impose

verb

im·pose | \ im-ˈpōz

imposed; imposing

Definition of impose

transitive verb

1a : 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

2a : 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

Other Words from impose Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about impose

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Synonyms & Antonyms for impose

Synonyms

assess, charge, exact, fine, lay, levy, put

Antonyms

remit

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.

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 on the Web

Although suppliers are getting more orders in on time since Walmart began imposing penalties for delays, incomplete deliveries are driving as many as 30% of out-of-stock readings in stores, according to people familiar with the data. — Sarah Nassauer, WSJ, "Walmart Toughens Delivery Demands for Suppliers," 6 Mar. 2019 The tighter screening of refugees reflects one of the signature issues for President Donald Trump, who imposed a travel ban on people from seven majority Muslim countries as one of his first actions upon taking office in January 2017. — Fox News, "Trump refugee policy leaves thousands stranded outside US," 7 Oct. 2018 The imposing setting at Windsor Castle and the fact that his hostess is one of the most admired women in the world are expected to temper Trump’s iconoclastic ways. — BostonGlobe.com, "Royal etiquette for the Trumps’ visit: Don’t kiss the queen," 13 July 2018 The trial judge imposed death sentences for the Bowman and Levy murders. — Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, "Ted Bundy: Looking Back at the Killing Spree That Landed Him on Death Row," 25 Jan. 2019 And as Trump has talked about bringing Putin back into the international fold, the Treasury Department has continued to impose sanctions on various Russian officials, companies and businessmen. — Matthew Lee, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump wish for warm Putin ties highlights policy disconnect," 14 July 2018 The two carriers also impose fuel surcharges, which fluctuate with market prices. — Paul Ziobro, WSJ, "Amazon’s Pitch to Woo Shippers: Fewer Fees Than FedEx, UPS," 23 Jan. 2019 President Donald Trump imposed tariff increases of up to 25 percent on $250 billion of Chinese imports over complaints Beijing steals or pressures companies to hand over technology. — Joe Mcdonald, The Seattle Times, "US-China trade talks start amid cooling economic growth," 7 Jan. 2019 Finally, the city is imposing a 15mph speed limit on the scooters themselves. — Cyrus Farivar, Ars Technica, "Oakland official: “We want to get Americans out of their cars and solve racism”," 12 Dec. 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.