different between enforce vs efforce

English

Alternative forms

• inforce (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old French enforcier, from Late Latin inforti?re, from in- + fortis (“strong”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) enPR: ?nfôrs?, IPA^(key): /?n?f??s/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?n?f??s/
• (rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) enPR: ?nf?rs?, IPA^(key): /?n?fo(?)?s/
• (non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /?n?fo?s/
• Rhymes: -??(?)s
• Hyphenation: en?force

Verb

enforce (third-person singular simple present enforces, present participle enforcing, simple past and past participle enforced)

1. To keep up, impose or bring into effect something, not necessarily by force. [from 17^thc.]
   • 1929, Chiang Kai-shek, quoted in “Nationalist Notes,” Time, 11 February, 1929,^[1]

     Our task is only half finished. It will be my duty to enforce the decisions of the conference and I hereby pledge myself to that end.

   • 2013, “The pulpit should be free of politics,” Los Angeles Times, 8 September, 2013,^[2]

     Far from needing to be repealed, the ban on politics in the pulpit ought to be enforced more aggressively.

2. To give strength or force to; to affirm, to emphasize. [from 15^thc.]

   The victim was able to enforce his evidence against the alleged perpetrator.

3. (obsolete, transitive) To strengthen (a castle, town etc.) with extra troops, fortifications etc. [14^th-18^thc.]
4. (obsolete, transitive) To intensify, make stronger, add force to. [14^th-18^thc.]
5. (obsolete, reflexive) To exert oneself, to try hard. [14^th-17^thc.]

   • I pray you enforce youreselff at that justis that ye may be beste, for my love.

6. (obsolete) To compel, oblige (someone or something); to force. [from 16^thc.]
   • 1594, Christopher Marlowe, Edward II, London: William Jones,^[3]

     Sweete prince I come, these these thy amorous lines,

     Might haue enforst me to haue swum from France,

     And like Leander gaspt vpon the sande,

     So thou wouldst smile and take me in thy armes.
7. (obsolete) To make or gain by force; to force.

   to enforce a passage

   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, London: William Ponsonbie, Book 1, Canto 8, p. 106,^[4]

     Ne shame he thought to shonne so hideous might,

     The ydle stroke, enforcing furious way,

     Missing the marke of his misaymed sight

     Did fall to ground […]

8. (obsolete) To put in motion or action by violence; to drive.
   • c. 1589, William Shakespeare, Henry V, Act IV, Scene 7,^[5]

     If they’ll do neither, we will come to them,

     And make them skirr away, as swift as stones

     Enforced from the old Assyrian slings:

9. (obsolete) To give force to; to strengthen; to invigorate; to urge with energy.

   to enforce arguments or requests

   • 1796, Edmund Burke, Two Letters Addressed to a Member of the Present Parliament: on the Proposals for Peace with the Regicide Directory of France, London: F. & C. Rivington, Letter I, p. 60,^[6]

     […] the eloquence of the declaration, not contradicting, but enforcing sentiments of the truest humanity, has left stings that have penetrated more than skin-deep into my mind […]

10. (obsolete) To urge; to ply hard; to lay much stress upon.
    • c. 1607, William Shakespeare, Coriolanus, Act III, Scene 2,^[7]

      In this point charge him home, that he affects

      Tyrannical power: if he evade us there,

      Enforce him with his envy to the people,

      And that the spoil got on the Antiates

      Was ne’er distributed.

11. (obsolete) To prove; to evince.
    • 1604, Richard Hooker, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiasticall Politie, London, Preface, p. 9,^[8]

      But what argument are ye able to shew, whereby it was euer prooued by Caluin, that any one sentence of Scripture doth necessarily enforce these things, or the rest wherein your opinion concurreth with his against the orders of your owne Church?

Derived terms

• enforcer
• enforcement

Translations

Anagrams

• forcené

English

Etymology

From Middle French efforcer.

Verb

efforce (third-person singular simple present efforces, present participle efforcing, simple past and past participle efforced)

1. (obsolete, reflexive) To force oneself.
2. (obsolete, transitive) To force, force open; to acquire by force.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, II.vii:

     huge great yron chests and coffers strong, / All bard with double bends, that none could weene / Them to efforce by violence or wrong […]

French

Verb

efforce

1. first-person singular present indicative of efforcer
2. third-person singular present indicative of efforcer
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of efforcer
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of efforcer
5. second-person singular imperative of efforcer