From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishenforceen‧force /ɪnˈfɔːs $ -ɔːrs/ ●○○ AWL verb [transitive] 1 SCto make people obey a rule or lawenforce a law/ban etc Governments make laws and the police enforce them. Parking restrictions will be strictly enforced.2 FORCE somebody TO DO somethingto make something happen or force someone to do somethingenforce something on somebody It is unlikely that a record company would enforce its views on an established artist. —enforceable adjective The recommendations are not legally enforceable.COLLOCATIONSnounsenforce a lawHe wants the police to enforce the law and arrest the men.enforce a rule/regulationThe rules are strictly enforced.enforce an agreementThe president called for UN action to enforce the agreement.enforce a banThe ban on commercial whaling can only be enforced with the international cooperation.enforce sanctionsThe EU has threatened to enforce sanctions by blockading the port.enforce disciplineYou have to enforce classroom discipline or there is chaos.adverbsbe strictly/rigorously enforcedThe new parking restrictions will be strictly enforced.be properly enforcedRules are only effective if they are properly enforced. → See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
enforce• They are willing to explain but not to enforce.• But he is not entitled to go behind the Act to show that section 18 should not be enforced.• The franchiser tried to keep the spat out of court by enforcing an arbitration agreement in the franchise contract.• Long periods of enforced coexistence may include concessions or agreements and important, often fruitful, cultural exchange.• It's difficult to enforce discipline in these surroundings.• But after 18 months of enforced dormancy, both have been given new life and relevance.• a period of enforced silence• The office does a poor job enforcing the cases it has now, she said.• The police are strict here about enforcing the speed limit.• The only answer to this is to develop a comprehensive programme of accounting standards and to enforce them vigorously.• But it is one thing to have rules, another to enforce them.enforce a law/ban etc• Chief executives are officials who run governmental bodies that formulate and enforce laws.• Wednesday afternoon, riot police were out on the streets of Belgrade to enforce a ban on marches by anti-Milosevic demonstrators. 