impose

An act of placing or putting on something chiefly immaterial, especially something regarded as burdensome as a duty, a task, etc.; an imposition.

Noun

An act of placing or putting on something chiefly immaterial, especially something regarded as burdensome as a duty, a task, etc.; an imposition.
- According to your Ladiſhips impoſe, / I am thus early come, to knovv vvhat ſeruice / It is your pleaſure to command me in. - c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr....

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.

Forms

imposes

Verb

To physically lay or place (something) on another thing; to deposit, to put, to set.
- [H]is Svvaine / Strevv'd faire greene Oſiers; and impoſ'd thereon / A good ſoft Sheepeskin, vvhich made him a Throne. - 1614–1615, Homer, “The Sixteenth Book of Homer’s Odysseys”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., Homer’s...
- It vvas here likevviſe, in a place vvhere the diſtance betvveen the oppoſite banks cannot exceed five hundred paces, that Xerxes impoſed a ſtupendous bridge of boats, for the purpoſe of tranſporting into Europe an...
1. (Christianity) To lay or place (one's hands) on someone as a blessing, during rites of confirmation, ordination, etc.
  - [Jesus] ſaid to them, Suffer the litle children to come vnto me, and prohibit them not, for the kingdom of God is for ſuch. […] And embracing them, and impoſing hands vpon them, he bleſſed them. - 1582, The Nevv...
  - [W]hen Iſraell bleſſed Ephraim and Manaſſes Ioſephs ſonnes, hee impoſed vpon them his hands and prayed, […] - 1597, Richard Hooker, “Of Confirmation after Baptisme”, in J[ohn] S[penser], editor, Of the Lawes of...
  - [T]hat the Apoſtolate might be ſucceſſive and perpetuall, Chriſt gave them a povver of ordination, that by impoſing hands on others they might impart that povver vvhich they receiued from Chriſt. - 1642, Jer[emy]...
2. (printing) To lay (columns or pages of type, or printing plates) arranged in a proper order on the bed of a press or an imposing stone and secure them in a chase in preparation for printing.
  - They [pages] are imposed as follows, the illustration showing how the pages appear in the form. […] 18, 24, 32, and 48mo may be imposed in a similar manner, or may be so imposed as to be cut before folding. - 1877,...
To apply, enforce, or establish (something, often regarded as burdensome as a restriction or tax: see verb sense 1.2.2) with authority.
- Congress imposed new tariffs.
- Sanctions were imposed on the country that had made an unprovoked attack on its neighbour.
- In crueltie and outrage ſhe did pas, / To proue her ſurname true, that ſhe impoſed has. - 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for...
Synonyms: lay
To place or put (something chiefly immaterial, especially something regarded as burdensome as a duty, an encumbrance, a penalty, etc.) on another thing or on someone; to inflict, to repose; also, to place or put (on someone a chiefly immaterial thing, especially something regarded as burdensome).
- Social relations impose courtesy.
- [T]he courtier that proceeds in his matters, rather with oppinion and obſtinacy, then diſcretion and iudgement; ſhall neuer bee in fauor with the Prince, nor yet beeloued in the court. For it is as neceſſary for the...
- VVhat Fates impoſe, that men muſt needs abide; / It boots not to reſiſt both vvinde and tide. - c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares...
To force or put (a thing) on someone or something by deceit or stealth; to foist, to obtrude.
- I went to visite Mr. Ratcliffe, in whose lodging was an impostor that had like to have impos'd upon us a pretended secret of multiplying gold; 'tis certain he had liv'd some time in Paris in extraordinarie splendor, but...
To subject (a student) to imposition (“a task inflicted as punishment”).
To appoint (someone) to be in authority or command over other people.
To accuse someone of (a crime, or a sin or other wrongdoing); to charge, to impute.
- So, if a Sonne that is by his Father ſent about Merchandize, doe ſinfully miſcarry vpon the Sea; the imputation of his vvickedneſſe, by your rule, ſhould be impoſed vpon his Father that ſent him: […] - 1599 (date...
- On him the King (in madneſſe ſo enrag'd) / Impoſde my death, himſelfe thereto that gag'd. - 1630, Michaell Draiton [i.e., Michael Drayton], “The Legend of Matilda”, in Poems: […], London: […] [Valentine Simmes] for...
- Thou falſely impoſeſt a capital crime upon him [Jesus], namely, that he made himſelf a King, whereas he never uſed any royal ornaments, according to the pomp of this world. - 1804, Thomas of Kempis [i.e., Thomas à...
To put (a conclusion or end) to something definitively.
- [G]uards vvere held, at all parts, dayes and nights, / For feare of falſe ſurpriſe before, they had impoſde the crovvne / To theſe ſolemnities. - [1611?], Homer, “Book XXIIII”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., The Iliads...
Chiefly followed by on or upon.
- But it is not onely the Difficultie, and Labour, vvhich Men take in finding out of Truth; nor againe, that vvhen it is found, it impoſeth vpon mens Thoughts; that doth bring Lies in fauour: But a naturall, though...
- But I perceive they do think that I know too much, and shall impose upon whomever shall come next, and therefore must be removed, […] - 1669 April 8 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Samuel Pepys, Mynors Bright,...
- From no task Thou, Creator, imposedst! Creation / Revealed me no object, from insect to Man, / But bore Thy hand's impress: […] - 1887, Robert Browning, “Fust and His Friends: An Epilogue”, in Parleyings with Certain...
1. To affect authoritatively or forcefully; to influence strongly.
2. To encroach or intrude, especially in a manner regarded as unfair or unwarranted; to presume, to take advantage of; also, to be a burden or inconvenience.
  - I don’t wish to impose upon you.
  - [T]hey do not rob the King of any right he ever had, for he never had a power to do hurt to his people, nor would exercise it: and therefore there is no danger, in the passing this Bill, of imposing on his prerogative;...
  - Your character was unfolded in the recital which I received many months ago from Mr. Wickham. On this subject, what can you have to say? In what imaginary act of friendship can you here defend yourself? or under what...
  Synonyms: presume
3. To practise deceit or stealth; to cheat, to deceive, to trick.
  - Know, that thou imposedst upon my sire and deceivedst him by dint of thy deluding vaunts, so that of his greed for gain he married me to thee. - 1886, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, “Ma’aruf the Cobbler...
4. (obsolete) To subject to an impost, levy, tax, etc.
  - To impoſe upon all things brought into the Kin[g]dome is very ancient: vvhich impoſing vvhen it hath been continued a certain time, is them called Cuſtomes, becauſe the ſubjects are accuſtomed to pay it, and yet the...
  - [W]hoso rhymes a sonnet pays a tax, / Who paints a landscape dips brush at his cost, / Who scores a septett true for strings and wind / Mulcted must be—else how should I impose / Properly, attitudinize aright, / Did...

impose

Noun

Origin

Forms

Verb

Forms

Synonyms

Related

Derived