imposes

Verb

impose (third-person singular simple present imposes, present participle imposing, simple past and past participle imposed)

1. (archaic, transitive) 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 Odysses. […], London: […] Rich[ard] Field [and William Jaggard], for Nathaniell Butter, published...
   1. (archaic, transitive) 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 Testament of Iesus Christ: […] (Douay–Rheims Bible), Rheims: Iohn Fogny, →OCLC, Marke 10:14 and 16, page 113
   2. (archaic, transitive) 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, Edward H[enry] Knight, “Imposing”, in Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary. […], volume II (GAS–REA), New York, N.Y.: Hurd and Houghton […], →OCLC, page 1172, column 1
2. (figuratively, transitive) 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.

   Synonyms:

   lay

3. (figuratively, transitive) 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.
4. (figuratively, transitive) 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 I found him to be an egregious cheate.1650 December 23 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 14 December 1650]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition...

See all 15 meanings of impose