{
    "term": "enforce",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "academic": true,
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "c1",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "enforce",
            "heSheIt": "enforces"
        },
        "pastSimple": "enforced",
        "pastParticiple": "enforced",
        "ingForm": "enforcing"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to make sure that people obey a particular law or rule",
            "sensetop": "enforce somethingenforce something against/on somebody/something",
            "labels": "(formal or law)",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "It's the job of the police to enforce the law.",
                    "contextForm": "enforce something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The legislation will be difficult to enforce."
                },
                {
                    "text": "United Nations troops enforced a ceasefire in the area."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The creditor should be at liberty to enforce his rights against the company's property.",
                    "contextForm": "enforce something against/on somebody/something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The government may take steps to enforce compliance with the new measures."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The rules were strictly enforced."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a system of local inspectors to help enforce presidential decrees"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Permission and obligation", "Law and justice"],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["fully", "rigidly", "rigorously"],
                "verb + enforce": ["can", "be difficult to", "be hard to"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to make something happen or force somebody to do something",
            "sensetop": "enforce something (on somebody)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "You can't enforce cooperation between the players."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ɪnˈfɔːs/",
                "audio": "en/enforce/enforce__gb_3.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ɪnˈfɔːsɪz/",
                "audio": "en/enforce/enforces__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ɪnˈfɔːst/",
                "audio": "en/enforce/enforced__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ɪnˈfɔːsɪŋ/",
                "audio": "en/enforce/enforcing__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ɪnˈfɔːrs/",
                "audio": "en/enforce/enforce__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ɪnˈfɔːrsɪz/",
                "audio": "en/enforce/enforces__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ɪnˈfɔːrst/",
                "audio": "en/enforce/enforced__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ɪnˈfɔːrsɪŋ/",
                "audio": "en/enforce/enforcing__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English (in the senses ‘strive’ and ‘impel by force’; formerly also as inforce): from Old French enforcir, enforcier, based on Latin in- ‘in’ + fortis ‘strong’."
}