Meanings
present singular third person enjoins · participle present enjoining · participle past enjoined · past enjoined
- literarytransitiveTo lay upon, as an order or command; to give an injunction to; to direct with authority; to order; to charge.
I am enjoin'd by oath to observe three things:
c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ix]3 more examples
to confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them […]
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Esther 9:31At some landmark in the jungle the beater halted, pointed to the ground as a sign that this spot would do, and put his finger on his lips to enjoin silence.
1934, George Orwell, chapter 14, in Burmese DaysBut to my surprise and no small concern, Queequeg now gave me to understand, that he had been diligently consulting Yojo—the name of his black little god—and Yojo had told him two or three times over, and strongly insisted upon it everyway, that instead of our going together among the whaling-fleet in harbor, and in concert selecting our craft; instead of this, I say, Yojo earnestly enjoined that the selection of the ship should rest wholly with me, inasmuch as Yojo purposed befriending us; [...]
1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 16, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 75 - transitivelawTo prohibit or restrain by a judicial order or decree; to put an injunction on.
the judicial power of the United States had no power to enjoin the executive branch of the government from the execution of a constitutional duty or of a constitutional law
1826, James Kent, Commentaries on American Law1 more example
In 1983, BLM was enjoined by court order from using any herbicides in its Medford, Oregon District. Subsequent court action in 1984 enjoined BLM from the use of herbicides throughout Oregon and the U.S. Forest Service was similarly enjoined throughout Region 6 (Pacific Northwest).
1989, U.S. Department of the Interior, chapter 1, in Western Oregon Program-Management of Competing Vegetation: Proposed Record of Decision, Bureau of Land Management, page 9
Synonyms & antonyms
verbgive instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latininiungo“to attach”
- Old Frenchenjoindre“to join with”
- Middle Englishenjoinen
- Englishenjoin
From Middle English enjoinen, from Old French enjoindre (“to join with”), from Latin iniungo (“to attach”), a compound of in- (“into” “upon”) and iungo.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἐπιτέλλω
- ἐπιτέλλω (epitéllō)to lay on, as a command
Bulgarian нареждам, предписвам
- нареждам (nareždam)to lay on, as a command
- предписвам (predpisvam)to lay on, as a command
- забранявам (zabranjavam)to prohibit or restrain by judicial order
Chinese Mandarin 吩咐, 命令
- 吩咐 (fēnfù)to lay on, as a command
- 命令 (mìnglìng)to lay on, as a command
- 禁止 (jìnzhǐ)to lay on, as a command
Czech nařídit, nakázat
- naříditto lay on, as a command
- nakázatto lay on, as a command
- poručitto lay on, as a command
- (soudně) zakázatto prohibit or restrain by judicial order
Danish påbyde, pålægge
- påbydeto lay on, as a command
- pålæggeto lay on, as a command
- pålæggeto prohibit or restrain by judicial order
Finnish määrätä, määrätä
- määrätäto lay on, as a command
- määrätäto prohibit or restrain by judicial order
- kieltääto prohibit or restrain by judicial order
French enjoindre
- enjoindreto lay on, as a command
German auferlegen, vorschreiben
- auferlegento lay on, as a command
- vorschreibento lay on, as a command
- anordnento lay on, as a command
- ermahnento lay on, as a command
- mahnento lay on, as a command
- aufgebento lay on, as a command
- fordernto lay on, as a command
- untersagento prohibit or restrain by judicial order
- verbietento prohibit or restrain by judicial order
Hungarian parancsol, megparancsol
- parancsolto lay on, as a command
- megparancsolto lay on, as a command
- utasítto lay on, as a command
- intto lay on, as a command
- elrendelto lay on, as a command
- meghagyto lay on, as a command
- megtiltto prohibit or restrain by judicial order
- eltiltto prohibit or restrain by judicial order
Irish cuir d'fhiacha ar
- cuir d'fhiacha arto lay on, as a command
Portuguese injungir
- injungirto lay on, as a command
Russian предпи́сывать, предписа́ть
- предпи́сывать (predpísyvatʹ)to lay on, as a command
- предписа́ть (predpisátʹ)to lay on, as a command
- веле́ть (velétʹ)to lay on, as a command
- запреща́ть (zapreščátʹ)to prohibit or restrain by judicial order
Spanish mandar
- mandarto lay on, as a command
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with enjoin
Cite this entry
enjoin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enjoin
“enjoin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enjoin. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “enjoin,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enjoin.
Source: enjoin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.