imposition

noun

im·​po·​si·​tion ˌim-pə-ˈzi-shən 

1

: something imposed: such as

a

: an excessive or uncalled-for requirement or burden

b

: levy, tax

2

: the act of imposing

3

: deception

4

: the order of arrangement of imposed pages

Synonyms

• tax
• levy

Examples of imposition in a Sentence

Your kids can stay with me the night you're away—it's really not an imposition.

the imposition of a life sentence on the defendant

the imposition of a tax on liquor

Recent Examples on the Web

With the imposition of trade tariffs, the price of steel, semiconductor chips, and avocados goes up. —Ganesh Marín, The Dial, 7 Oct. 2025

Press freedom groups rank China as the world's top jailer of journalists, with 112 journalists and media workers currently behind bars, alongside another eight in Hong Kong in the wake of Beijing's imposition of a national security law there in 2020. —Ashish Valentine, NPR, 30 Sep. 2025

Such a broad imposition of tariffs would have been a fiercer move than any Joe Biden contemplated. —Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025

While the law allows Congress to reintroduce legislation challenging the president’s imposition of tariffs every six months, the resolution in the House will block those movements until next year. —Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 17 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for imposition

• abolition
• acquisition
• admonition
• ammunition
• apparition
• apposition
• coalition
• competition
• composition
• definition
• deglutition
• demolition

Kids Definition

imposition

noun

im·​po·​si·​tion ˌim-pə-ˈzish-ən 

1

: the act of imposing

2

a

: something (as a tax) that is imposed

b

: a demand or request that is very troublesome