enforce

enforce — verb

1. to use your authority to guarantee that a law, rule, or agreement is obeyed and

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to use your authority to guarantee that a law, rule, or agreement is obeyed and that violations are punished

Example

The police department works hard to enforce traffic laws across the city.

enforce + traffic laws — law as object

New safety rules were enforced after the fire at the factory.

passive: rules were enforced

Common collocations
  • enforce the law
  • enforce a rule
  • enforce regulations
  • enforce a policy
  • strictly enforce
  • enforce by law
Synonyms
  • implement

    Focuses on putting a decision or plan into effect; 'implement' is broader and less about punishment.

  • uphold

    Suggests maintaining a principle or standard; slightly more formal and often moral in tone.

  • administer

    Covers managing and applying rules in a system; less forceful than 'enforce'.

Antonyms
  • ignore

    To deliberately take no notice of a rule; the opposite of acting to ensure compliance.

  • neglect

    To fail to carry out enforcement duties, often due to carelessness rather than intent.

Grammar Patterns

enforce + [law/rule/regulation]

Usage Note

Subject is typically an authority or institution (police, government, school, court). Frequently passive: 'a law is enforced by …'. The object is always the rule or law itself — not the person who breaks it.

Common Mistakes

The police enforced the criminals to stop.
The police enforced the law against the criminals.
'enforce' takes the rule or law as its object, not the person.
The guards enforced the students to leave.
The guards forced the students to leave.
Use 'force' + person + infinitive when you make a person do something.

2. to force a particular situation, policy, or standard to be put into place and fo

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to force a particular situation, policy, or standard to be put into place and followed

Example

The manager enforced strict discipline by removing anyone who arrived late.

enforce + discipline — abstract standard

Liang's parents tried to enforce a curfew, but he often stayed out late.

Common collocations
  • enforce discipline
  • enforce a ban
  • enforce a curfew
  • enforce compliance
  • enforce a standard
Synonyms
  • impose

    Emphasises putting a burden or restriction on someone; feels heavier than 'enforce'.

  • compel

    Directly targets a person rather than a rule; 'compel someone to do something'.

  • require

    Less forceful than 'enforce'; focuses on necessity rather than authority-backed pressure.

Antonyms
  • allow

    To permit something rather than force it; the direct opposite of compelling action.

  • waive

    To voluntarily give up the right to enforce a rule or requirement.

Grammar Patterns

enforce + [discipline/compliance/a ban/a curfew]

Usage Note

Common with nouns that describe standards or restrictions: 'discipline', 'a ban', 'a curfew', 'a policy', 'compliance'. The person doing the enforcing has authority over the situation, not necessarily a formal legal role.

Common Mistakes

The teacher enforced the students to be quiet.
The teacher enforced the no-talking rule.
Even in this sense, the object is the restriction or standard, not the person.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All three words involve putting rules or decisions into practice, but they differ in tone and scope. 'Implement' (B2) focuses on the initial act of putting a plan or policy into effect — it is about starting something, not about ongoing compliance: 'The city implemented a new recycling program.' 'Uphold' (C1) has a moral or legal flavour, suggesting the defence of a principle or standard against challenges: 'The court upheld the right to free speech.' 'Administer' (B2) is broader in scope and refers to the day-to-day management and application of rules within a system: 'The committee administers the scholarship program.' 'Enforce' is the only one that carries the idea of punishment or consequences for breaking the rule. Use 'enforce' when you mean that someone checks compliance and acts when the rule is broken, as in 'The school enforces its dress code by sending students home.'

implement ↗uphold ↗administer ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • enforce by law
  • enforce through legislation
  • enforce in court

Prepositions

  • against (enforce a rule against someone)
  • on (enforce on a group)
  • through (enforce through legislation)
  • by (enforce by law)

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'enforce' comes from Old French 'enforcier' (13th century), meaning 'to strengthen, to force'. This in turn derives from Latin 'infortiare', based on 'fortis' meaning 'strong'. The original sense was 'to strengthen' — for example, to enforce a wall meant to make it stronger. Over time the meaning shifted toward 'to apply force to make something happen', then more narrowly to 'to compel obedience to a rule or law'.