imposition
English
Etymology
From Middle English imposicioun, from Old French imposicion, from Latin impositio.
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /ɪm.pəˈzɪʃən/
Audio (Mid-Atlantic) (file)
Noun
imposition (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
Derived terms
Translations
act of imposing, laying on, affixing, enjoining, inflicting, obtruding, and the like
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an unwelcome burden, presence, or obligation
that which is imposed, levied, or enjoined
arrangement of pages on printing sheet
religion: laying on of hands
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References
- “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
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɛ̃.po.zi.sjɔ̃/
Audio (file)
Further reading
- “imposition”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Middle English
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