# impose

Pronunciation: say "im-POHZ" US /ɪmˈpoʊz/, UK /ɪmˈpəʊz/, AUS /ɪmˈpəʉz/

## Verb

1. To establish or enforce a rule, tax, or penalty by authority, especially one people find burdensome.
   - Simple: To put a rule, tax, or punishment in place using your power or authority.
   - _The government decided to impose a new tax on imported cars._
   - _Officials imposed strict curfews across the region after the riots._
2. To intrude or encroach on someone, especially unfairly; to presume on another's kindness or to be a burden.
   - Simple: To force yourself or your needs on someone in a way that feels unfair.
   - _I would hate to impose on you during such a busy week._
   - _He apologized for imposing on their hospitality for so long._
3. To affect or influence someone or something forcefully or authoritatively.
   - Simple: To have a strong or powerful effect on someone or something.
   - _Great artists impose their vision on everything they touch._
   - _The cathedral's vast nave imposes upon all who enter._
4. To deceive or cheat someone, often by trickery or stealth; to take advantage through dishonesty.
   - Simple: To trick or cheat someone by lying or hiding the truth.
   - _Swindlers impose upon the unwary with promises of easy riches._
   - _She realized too late that the charming stranger had imposed upon her._

## Verb

5. To set something down upon another object; to place or deposit it there. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: To physically place or set one thing on top of another.
   - _The workers impose the capstone upon the pillar at dawn._
   - _He imposed a heavy ledger atop the stack of papers._
6. To lay one's hands on a person as a blessing during rites such as confirmation or ordination. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: To place your hands on someone as a blessing during a church ceremony.
   - _During the ordination, the archbishop imposed his hands upon the young deacon._
   - _Each priest present will impose his hands on the candidate in turn._
7. To lay columns or pages of type in proper order on a press bed and secure them in a chase ready for printing. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: To arrange pages of type in order and lock them in place for printing.
   - _The compositor imposed eight pages of type onto the press bed._
   - _Apprentices learn to impose the formes correctly before locking the chase._
8. To place a tax, levy, or duty on something or someone. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To put a tax or charge on goods or people.

## Noun

9. The act of placing a burdensome duty, task, or obligation on someone; an imposition. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A duty or task placed on someone as a burden.
   - _The steward added yet another impose to the tenants' long list of duties._
   - _Each new impose from the manor deepened the peasants' resentment._

## Origin

The verb comes from Late Middle English imposen, borrowed from Middle French imposer and Old French emposer ('to impose a duty, tax, etc.'). It was built from a prefix meaning 'in, into' plus poser ('to place, put'), modelled on Latin impōnere ('to set something on; to impose a duty or tax'), from a prefix meaning 'on, upon' plus pōnō ('to place, put'). The noun comes from the verb.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/impose (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).