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

The terms of a similar order were enjoined as unconstitutional earlier this week by a federal district court judge. —Kelsey Walsh, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2025

Consequently, the court enjoined the federal government from implementing or enforcing the executive order. —Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025

Though grant funding may be at risk under the order, terminating grants to organizations in the private sector is now permanently enjoined by a recent court order, according to the PowerPoint. —Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2025

As of this writing, key portions have been enjoined by a federal court. —Jamie Dolkas, Harvard Business Review, 27 Feb. 2025

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

Rhymes for enjoin

• adjoin
• benzoin
• bitcoin
• conjoin
• fibroin
• rejoin
• sirloin
• subjoin
• coin
• coyne
• groin
• join

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