imposition

English

Etymology

From Middle English imposicioun, from Old French imposicion, from Latin impositio.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɪm.pəˈzɪʃən/

• Audio (Mid-Atlantic US):

  (file)

Noun

imposition (countable and uncountable, plural impositions)

1. The act of imposing, laying on, affixing, enjoining, inflicting, obtruding, and the like.
2. 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.

3. That which is imposed, levied, or enjoined.
4. A trick or deception put or laid on others.
5. (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.
6. (religion) A practice of laying hands on a person in a religious ceremony; used e.g. in confirmation and ordination.
7. (UK, school or university slang) 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
• (trick or deception put or laid on others): cheating, deception, delusion, fraud, imposture, trick

Derived terms

• superimposition

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
• Hungarian: kiszabás (hu), kivetés (hu), kirovás (hu), előírás (hu)
• Italian: imposizione (it) f, obbligo (it) m
• Maori: uruhanga
• Spanish: imposición (es) f

an unwelcome burden, presence, or obligation

• Finnish: huijaus (fi)
• Hungarian: megterhelés (hu), tehertétel (hu)
• Italian: inganno (it) m, imbroglio (it) m

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
• Hungarian: teher (hu)
• Italian: imposizione (it) f
• Norwegian: (pålagt) byrde m

trick or deception put or laid on others — see trick,‎ deception

arrangement of pages on printing sheet

• Finnish: asemointi (fi), arkkiasemointi
• Hungarian: kilövés (hu), belövés (hu)

religion: laying on of hands

• Finnish: kättenpäällepaneminen
• German: Handauflegen (de) n
• Hungarian: kézrátétel (hu)
• Italian: imposizione (it) f
• 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
• Hungarian: büntetési feladat, büntetőfeladat
• Italian: punizione (it) f

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)

Noun

imposition f (plural impositions)

1. imposition (all senses)
2. taxation

   Synonym: taxation

Further reading

• “imposition”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Middle English

Noun

imposition

1. Alternative form of imposicioun