enforcement

en·force·ment
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UK/ɪnˈfɔːsm(ə)nt/UK/ɛn-/US/ɪnˈfoɹsm(ə)nt/

noun

The act of enforcing; compulsion.

CommonScrabble 18

Meanings

nounenforcement (usually uncountable, plural enforcements)

plural enforcements · alternative inforcement

  1. uncountableusuallyThe act of enforcing; compulsion.

    [M]en lyued ſimplye and innocentlye without inforcement of lawes, without quarellinge Judges and libelles, contente onely to ſatiſfie nature, without further vexation for knowledge of thinges to come.

    1555, Peter Martyr of Angleria [i.e., Peter Martyr d’Anghiera], “The Seconde Booke of the Fyrste Decade to Ascanius Phorcia [i.e., Ascanio Sforza], Vicounte Cardinall. &c.”, in Rycharde [i.e., Richard] Eden, transl., The Decades of the Newe Worlde or West India, […], London: […] [Rycharde Jug for] Guilhelmi Powell, →OCLC, 1st decade, folio 8, recto
    1 more example

    And as congressional Republicans were passing a very unpopular Trump agenda bill last month, Vice President JD Vance argued that its historic expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and new immigration enforcement provisions were so important that “everything else” was “immaterial.”

    2025 July 13, Aaron Blake, “Trump’s mass deportation is backfiring”, in CNN, archived from the original on 17 Jul 2025
  2. uncountableusuallyA giving force to; a putting in execution.
  3. uncountableusuallyThat which enforces, constraints, gives force, authority, or effect to; constraint; force applied.

Origin

  1. Old Frenchenforcement
  2. Englishenforcement

From Old French enforcement, see enforce + -ment.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian принуда, изпълнение
  • принуда (prinuda)act of enforcing; compulsion
  • изпълнение (izpălnenie)giving force to; a putting in execution
Dutch handhaving
  • handhavingact of enforcing; compulsion
Esperanto eldevigo
  • eldevigoact of enforcing; compulsion
Finnish täytäntöönpano, täytäntöönpano
  • täytäntöönpanoact of enforcing; compulsion
  • täytäntöönpanogiving force to; a putting in execution
  • toimeenpanogiving force to; a putting in execution
  • täytäntöönpanothat which enforces, constraints, gives force, authority, or effect to; constraint; force applied
  • toimeenpanothat which enforces, constraints, gives force, authority, or effect to; constraint; force applied
German Vollstreckung, Durchsetzung
  • Vollstreckungact of enforcing; compulsion
  • Durchsetzungact of enforcing; compulsion
  • Vollstreckunggiving force to; a putting in execution
  • Durchsetzunggiving force to; a putting in execution
Hindi प्रवर्तन
  • प्रवर्तन (pravartan)act of enforcing; compulsion
Hungarian kényszerítés, kikényszerítés
  • kényszerítésact of enforcing; compulsion
  • kikényszerítésact of enforcing; compulsion
  • kierőszakolásact of enforcing; compulsion
  • végrehajtásgiving force to; a putting in execution
  • érvényre juttatásgiving force to; a putting in execution
  • érvényesítésgiving force to; a putting in execution
  • betartatásgiving force to; a putting in execution
Indonesian penegakan
  • penegakanact of enforcing; compulsion
Italian applicazione, imposizione
  • applicazioneact of enforcing; compulsion
  • imposizioneact of enforcing; compulsion
  • attuazioneact of enforcing; compulsion
  • compimentoact of enforcing; compulsion
  • esecuzioneact of enforcing; compulsion
  • rispettoact of enforcing; compulsion
Malay penguatkuasaan
  • penguatkuasaanact of enforcing; compulsion
Portuguese aplicação, cumprimento
  • aplicaçãoact of enforcing; compulsion
  • cumprimentoact of enforcing; compulsion
  • coerçãoact of enforcing; compulsion
  • imposiçãoact of enforcing; compulsion
  • observaçãoact of enforcing; compulsion
  • execuçãoact of enforcing; compulsion
Russian принужде́ние, осуществле́ние
  • принужде́ние (prinuždénije)act of enforcing; compulsion
  • осуществле́ние (osuščestvlénije)giving force to; a putting in execution
  • исполне́ние (ispolnénije)giving force to; a putting in execution
  • правопримене́ние (pravoprimenénije)that which enforces, constraints, gives force, authority, or effect to; constraint; force applied
Spanish enforzamiento
  • enforzamientoact of enforcing; compulsion
Cite this entry
APA

enforcement. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enforcement

MLA

“enforcement.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enforcement. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “enforcement,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enforcement.

Source: enforcement on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.