enjoin

verb

en·​join in-ˈjȯin 

en-

enjoined; enjoining; enjoins

transitive verb

1

: to direct or impose by authoritative order or with urgent admonition

enjoined us to be careful

2

a

: forbid, prohibit

was enjoined by conscience from telling a lie

b

: to prohibit by a judicial order : put an injunction on

a book had been enjoined prior to publication

—David Margolick

Did you know?

What do enjoin and junta have in common?

Enjoin has the Latin verb jungere, meaning "to join," at its root, but the kind of joining expressed by enjoin is quite particular: it is about linking someone to an action or activity by either requiring or prohibiting it. When it's the former at hand—that is, when enjoin is used to mean "to direct or impose by authoritative order or with urgent admonition"—the preposition to is typically employed, as in "they enjoined us to secrecy." When prohibition is involved, from is common, as in "signs enjoin attendees from photographing the event." In legal contexts, enjoining involves prohibition by judicial order, through means of an injunction, as in "the judge enjoined them from selling the contract."

Synonyms

• call (for)
• claim
• clamor (for)
• command
• demand
• exact
• insist (on)
• press (for)
• quest
• stipulate (for)

Choose the Right Synonym for enjoin

command, order, bid, enjoin, direct, instruct, charge mean to issue orders.

command and order imply authority and usually some degree of formality and impersonality.

command stresses official exercise of authority.

a general commanding troops

order may suggest peremptory or arbitrary exercise.

ordered his employees about

bid suggests giving orders peremptorily (as to children or servants).

she bade him be seated

enjoin implies giving an order or direction authoritatively and urgently and often with admonition or solicitude.

a sign enjoining patrons to be quiet

direct and instruct both connote expectation of obedience and usually concern specific points of procedure or method, instruct sometimes implying greater explicitness or formality.

directed her assistant to hold all calls

the judge instructed the jury to ignore the remark

charge adds to enjoin an implication of imposing as a duty or responsibility.

charged by the President with a secret mission

Examples of enjoin in a Sentence

He was enjoined by his conscience from telling a lie.

The judge enjoined them from selling the property.

Recent Examples on the Web

Net result: the editorial board gave the courts a roadmap to more easily enjoin UCC foreclosure sales, assuming the mezzanine borrowers and their counsel know about that roadmap and persuade the courts to apply it. —Joshua Stein, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024

Alleging that Snapchat willfully overlooks harms to kids while advertising its platform as safe, the State of New Mexico claims that Snapchat owner Snap has violated the state's Unfair Practices Act and must be enjoined as a public nuisance. —Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 6 Sep. 2024

Who knew cancer could both enjoin—and entail—such vigor? —Will Self, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024

After Georgia voters began heading to the polls Tuesday for the first day of early voting in the state, a judge enjoined election officials from moving forward with a controversial new rule that would require the hand counting of ballots after polls close on Nov. 5. —Graham Kates, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French enjoindre, from Latin injungere, from in- + jungere to join — more at yoke

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

enjoin

verb

en·​join in-ˈjȯin 

1

: to direct or demand (an action) by authoritative order (as from a court of law)

2

: forbid sense 1, prohibit

Legal Definition

enjoin

transitive verb

en·​join in-ˈjȯin 

: to prohibit by judicial order : issue an injunction against

a three-judge district court had enjoined the plans

—W. J. Brennan, Jr.

enjoinable adjective

Etymology

Anglo-French enjoindre to impose, constrain, from Old French, from Latin injungere to attach, impose, from in- on + jungere to join