enforce
verb
en·force
| \ in-ˈfȯrs
, en-\
, en-\
enforced;
enforcing;
enforces
Definition of enforce
1
: to give force to : strengthen
2
: to urge with energy
enforce arguments
4
obsolete
: to effect or gain by force
5
: to carry out effectively
enforce laws
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Other Words from enforce
enforceability
\ in-ˌfȯr-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē
, en- \
noun
, en- \
noun
enforceable
\ in-ˈfȯr-sə-bəl
, en- \
adjective
, en- \
adjective
enforcement
\ in-ˈfȯr-smənt
, en- \
noun
, en- \
noun
Examples of enforce in a Sentence
Police will be enforcing the parking ban.
the duty of the police is to enforce the law
Recent Examples on the Web
Batton is seeking damages for loss of income and medical costs against the festival organizers and park officials for failure to take reasonable measures to protect his safety and failure to enforce festival rules. — Claudia Rosenbaum, Billboard, "Ohio Man Sues After Legless Juggalo Crashes Into Him With a Golf Cart at Insane Clown Posse Gathering," 29 Aug. 2019 The next presidential election is 14 months away, and the agency tasked with enforcing campaign-finance laws is all but going out of business. — oregonlive.com, "Mitch McConnell’s actions lead to Federal Election Commission paralysis 14 months before 2020 election," 28 Aug. 2019 The dust-up comes on the heels of a round table Abbott convened to confront gun violence, when El Paso representatives said they were encouraged by solutions discussed, ranging from expanding background checks to better enforcing state gun laws. — Allie Morris, ExpressNews.com, "El Paso Democrats call Abbott tweet hurtful, dangerous in wake of mass shooting," 26 Aug. 2019 The chair umpire, Carlos Ramos, was called sexist, but also praised for enforcing the rules as they were written. — Christopher Clarey, New York Times, "What Changed After Serena vs. the Umpire? Not Much.," 23 Aug. 2019 Of course a healthy, competitive economy requires an effective government—to enforce antitrust rules, to stamp out today’s excessive lobbying and cronyism, to tackle climate change. — The Economist, "What companies are for," 22 Aug. 2019 Until then, the Ninth Circuit Court’s decision allows HHS to enforce the rule. — Jamie Ducharme, Time, "Planned Parenthood Faces an Uncertain Road Without Title X Funding—and Patients May Struggle to Get Care," 19 Aug. 2019 The actions by Berry and Imboden will test the Pan Am Sports Organization and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s resolve to enforce rules that restrict political protests. — Luis Andres Henao, The Denver Post, "Americans protest on medals stand at Pan Am Games," 11 Aug. 2019 The actions by Berry and Imboden will test the Pan Am Sports Organization and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee's resolve to enforce rules that restrict political protests. — Author: Luis Andres Henao, Anchorage Daily News, "Americans protest on medals stand at Pan Am Games," 11 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'enforce.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for enforce
enforce
verb
English Language Learners Definition of enforce
: to make (a law, rule, etc.) active or effective : to make sure that people do what is required by (a law, rule, etc.)
: to make (something) happen : to force or cause (something)
See the full definition for enforce in the English Language Learners Dictionary
enforce
verb
en·force
| \ in-ˈfȯrs
\
\
enforced;
enforcing
Kids Definition of enforce
1
: to make happen
He tried to enforce cooperation.
2
: to carry out or make effective
enforce a law
enforce
transitive verb
en·force
enforced;
enforcing
Legal Definition of enforce
: to cause to take effect or to be fulfilled
enforcing the divorce decree Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation — U.S. Constitution amend. XIX
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