imposition

English

Etymology

From Middle English imposicioun, 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

• Bulgarian: налагане n (nalagane), възлагане (bg) n (vǎzlagane)
• Finnish: määrääminen (fi), asettaminen (fi), liittäminen (fi), kieltäminen (fi)

• German: Zumutung (de) f, Belästigung (de) f
• Maori: uruhanga
• Spanish: imposición (es) f

that which is imposed, levied, or enjoined

• Bulgarian: налог (bg) m (nalog)
• Finnish: määräys (fi), maksu (fi), kielto (fi)

• German: Zumutung (de) f, Bürde (de) f
• Norwegian: (pålagt) byrde m

excessive, arbitrary, or unlawful exaction

• Finnish: huijaus (fi)

arrangement of pages on printing sheet

• Finnish: asemointi (fi), arkkiasemointi

religion: laying on of hands

• Finnish: kättenpäällepaneminen
• German: Handauflegen (de) n

• Serbo-Croatian: rukopolaganje

school: task imposed as punishment

• Bulgarian: домашно за наказание n (domašno za nakazanie)
• Dutch: strafwerk (nl) n

• Finnish: laiskanläksy
• German: Strafarbeit (de) f

References

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

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French

Pronunciation

• Audio

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Noun

imposition f (plural impositions)

1. imposition (all senses)

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Middle English

Noun

imposition

1. Alternative form of imposicioun