What does "impose" mean?

1. (to force a rule or tax) to use your authority to make sure a new law, tax, or rule is followed. 2. (to bother someone) to ask for a favour that might be inconvenient or unfair to the other person. 3. (to force your ideas) to make someone accept your opinions or way of life. 4. (printing) to arrange pages in the correct order so they will be right when the paper is folded.

How do you use "impose"?

Often used with the preposition 'on' to indicate the group affected. Usually functions as an intransitive verb followed by 'on' or 'upon'.

impose

US //ˌɪmˈpoʊz// UK //ɪmpˈəʊz// im·pose

1 to force a rule or tax (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Formal Academic Law

to use your authority to make sure a new law, tax, or rule is followed.

to establish or apply a rule, tax, or restriction by authoritative decree. Transitive; requires a direct object.

Example

The government decided to impose a new tax on luxury cars next year.

Example

The international community threatened to impose strict economic sanctions if the regime refused to comply with the peace treaty terms.

Usage

Often used with the preposition 'on' to indicate the group affected.
- lift
- abolish
2 to bother someone (v.)
C1 Advanced Formal

to ask for a favour that might be inconvenient or unfair to the other person.

to take unfair advantage of someone's time, hospitality, or good nature. Intransitive; almost always followed by 'on' or 'upon'.

Example

I don't want to impose on you, but could I stay on your sofa for one night?

Example

She felt she was imposing on her hosts by staying an extra week, despite their repeated assurances that she was welcome.

Usage

Usually functions as an intransitive verb followed by 'on' or 'upon'.

Teacher's tip

In modern conversation, this is often used politely to avoid being a burden, such as 'I don't want to impose.'

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3 to force your ideas (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

to make someone accept your opinions or way of life.

to force oneself or one's ideas and beliefs on others.

Example

Parents should not try to impose their own career dreams on their children.

Example

The colonial administration attempted to impose its own legal system and cultural values on the indigenous population.
- foist
- dictate
4 printing (v.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Computing

to arrange pages in the correct order so they will be right when the paper is folded.

to arrange pages of type in the correct order on a printing surface so that they appear in sequence after the sheet is printed and folded.

Example

The software will automatically impose the pages for the magazine layout.

Example

Before sending the file to the high-speed press, the technician must impose the digital plates to ensure the margins are consistent after binding.

Origin

The verb is derived from Late Middle English imposen (“to place, set; to impose (a duty, etc.)”), borrowed from Middle French imposer, and Old French emposer, enposer (“to impose (a duty, tax, etc.)”) (modern French imposer), from im-, em- (variants of en- (prefix meaning ‘in, into’)) + poser (“to place, put”), modelled after: Latin impōnere (“to place or set (something) on; (figurative) to impose (a duty, tax, etc.)”), from im- (variant of in- (prefix meaning ‘on, upon’)) + pōnō (“to place, put; etc.”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂pó, h₂epó (“away; off”) + tḱey- (“to cultivate; to live; to settle”)); and * Latin impositus (“established; put upon, imposed”), the perfect passive participle of impōnō: see above. The noun is derived from the verb.

Word family

Verbimpose
Adjectiveimposing