imposition

English

Etymology

From Old French imposicion, from Latin impositio

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɪm.pəˈzɪʃən/

Noun

imposition (countable and uncountable, plural impositions)

1. The act of imposing, laying on, affixing, enjoining, inflicting, obtruding, and the like.
2. That which is imposed, levied, or enjoined.
3. An excessive, arbitrary, or unlawful exaction; hence, a trick or deception put or laid on others.
4. (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.
5. (religion) A practice of laying hands on a person in a religious ceremony; used e.g. in confirmation and ordination.
6. (Britain) A task imposed on a student as punishment.

Synonyms

• (act of imposing and the like): imposure, infliction, obtrusion
• (that which is imposed, levied, or enjoined): burden, charge, enjoinder, injunction, tax
• (excessive, arbitrary, or unlawful exaction): cheating, deception, delusion, fraud, imposture, trick

Translations

act of imposing, laying on, affixing, enjoining, inflicting, obtruding, and the like

• Finnish: määrääminen (fi), asettaminen (fi), liittäminen (fi), kieltäminen (fi)

• Maori: uruhanga

that which is imposed, levied, or enjoined

• Finnish: määräys (fi), maksu (fi), kielto (fi)

• Norwegian: (pålagt) byrde m

excessive, arbitrary, or unlawful exaction

• Finnish: huijaus (fi)

arrangement of pages on printing sheet

religion: laying on of hands

• Finnish: kättenpäällepaneminen

• Serbo-Croatian: rukopolaganje

school: task imposed as punishment

• Finnish: laiskanläksy

References

• imposition in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• imposition in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

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French

Noun

imposition f (plural impositions)

1. imposition (all senses)