imposition
English
editEtymology
editFrom Middle English imposicioun, from Old French imposicion, from Latin impositio.
Pronunciation
edit- (UK) IPA(key): /ɪm.pəˈzɪʃən/
Audio (Mid-Atlantic US): (file)
Noun
editimposition (countable and uncountable, plural impositions)
- The act of imposing, laying on, affixing, enjoining, inflicting, obtruding, and the like.
- An unwelcome burden, presence, or obligation.
- 1961 November 10, Joseph Heller, “The Soldier in White”, in Catch-22 […], New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, →OCLC, page 169:
- They gathered soberly in the farthest recess of the ward and gossiped about him in malicious, offended undertones, rebelling against his presence as a ghastly imposition and resenting him malevolently for the nauseating truth of which he was bright reminder.
- 1991 May 4, Mary Dowd, “Risky Business”, in Gay Community News, page 7:
- He expunges his own anguish at his diagnosis with HIV and the impositions that have claimed his freedom.
- That which is imposed, levied, or enjoined.
- A trick or deception put or laid on others.
- (printing) Arrangement of a printed product’s pages on the printer's sheet so as to have the pages in proper order in the final product.
- (religion) A practice of laying hands on a person in a religious ceremony; used e.g. in confirmation and ordination.
- (UK, school or university slang) A task imposed on a student as punishment.
Synonyms
edit- (act of imposing and the like): imposure, infliction, obtrusion
- (that which is imposed, levied, or enjoined): burden, charge, enjoinder, injunction, tax
- (trick or deception put or laid on others): cheating, deception, delusion, fraud, imposture, trick
Derived terms
editTranslations
editact of imposing, laying on, affixing, enjoining, inflicting, obtruding, and the like
|
an unwelcome burden, presence, or obligation
|
that which is imposed, levied, or enjoined
arrangement of pages on printing sheet
religion: laying on of hands
|
school: task imposed as punishment
|
References
edit- “imposition”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “imposition”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
French
editPronunciation
editNoun
editimposition f (plural impositions)
- imposition (all senses)
- taxation
- Synonym: taxation
Further reading
edit- “imposition”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Middle English
editNoun
editimposition
- Alternative form of imposicioun
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 4-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with quotations
- en:Printing
- en:Religion
- British English
- en:Universities
- English student slang
- French 4-syllable words
- French terms with IPA pronunciation
- French terms with audio pronunciation
- French lemmas
- French nouns
- French countable nouns
- French feminine nouns
- Middle English lemmas
- Middle English nouns