im ‧ pose S3 W2 AC /ɪmˈpəʊz $ -ˈpoʊz/ BrE AmE verb
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ impose ; noun : ↑ imposition ]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: French ; Origin: imposer , from Latin imponere , from ponere 'to put' ]
1 . [transitive] if someone in authority imposes a rule, punishment, tax etc, they force people to accept it:
The court can impose a fine.
impose something on something/somebody
The government imposed a ban on the sale of ivory.
2 . [transitive] to force someone to have the same ideas, beliefs etc as you
impose something on somebody
parents who impose their own moral values on their children
3 . [intransitive] formal to expect or ask someone to do something for you when this is not convenient for them
impose on/upon
We could ask to stay the night, but I don’t want to impose on them.
4 . [transitive] to have a bad effect on something or someone and to cause problems for them
impose a burden/hardship etc (on somebody/something)
Military spending imposes a huge strain on the economy.
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In everyday English, people usually say put a ban/tax/burden/strain on something rather than impose a ban/tax/burden/strain on something:
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The government put a higher tax on cigarettes.
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This puts a lot of strain on families.