impose

verb

im·​pose im-ˈpōz 

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

… one senses a touching attempt to impose some semblance of domestic normalcy.

—David Wild

2

a

: to force someone to accept (something)

imposed her will on her subjects

imposes his personal beliefs on his employees

b

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

impose oneself on others

3

a

archaic : place, set

b

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

4

: pass off

impose fake antiques on the public

intransitive verb

: to take unwarranted advantage of something

I didn't want to impose on his good nature.

imposer noun

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.

Synonyms of impose

• levy
• charge
• fine
• put
• assess

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

African governments are imposing restrictions on online betting amid growing fears of a rise in gambling addiction on the continent. —Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 20 Mar. 2026

The difference between a real deadline, imposed for legitimate reasons from without, and a fake one, conjured from within, is like the difference between eating brunch and seeing it on Instagram. —Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026

However, this method imposes strict physical limits on size and power consumption, making further miniaturisation difficult. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 19 Mar. 2026

The measure would impose a one-time 5% tax on the assets of California residents who are worth $1 billion or more, with options to pay it over multiple years. —Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing impose

• impose one's will

Rhymes for impose

• aloes
• arose
• bedclothes
• bestows
• boroughs
• buboes
• cargoes
• cocos
• compose
• crossbows
• demos
• depose

Kids Definition

impose

verb

im·​pose im-ˈpōz 

imposed; imposing

1

a

: to establish or apply as a charge or penalty

impose a fine

impose a tax

b

: to force somebody to accept or put up with

impose one's will on another

2

: to take unfair advantage

impose on a friend's good nature

imposer noun