1
2
3

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb enjoin contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of enjoin are bid, charge, command, direct, instruct, and order. While all these words mean "to issue orders," enjoin implies giving an order or direction authoritatively and urgently and often with admonition or solicitude.

a sign enjoining patrons to be quiet

When can bid be used instead of enjoin?

Although the words bid and enjoin have much in common, bid suggests giving orders peremptorily (as to children or servants).

she bade him be seated

How do charge and enjoin relate to one another?

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

charged by the President with a secret mission

How are the words command and order related as synonyms of enjoin?

Both command and order imply authority and usually some degree of formality and impersonality; command stresses official exercise of authority.

a general commanding troops

How does the word direct relate to its synonym instruct, in the sense of enjoin?

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

Where would order be a reasonable alternative to enjoin?

While the synonyms order and enjoin are close in meaning, order may suggest peremptory or arbitrary exercise.

ordered his employees about like slaves

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of enjoin The actor Riley Keough, Lisa Marie's daughter, responded by filing a countersuit, seeking to enjoin the auction alleging fraud and claiming that Naussany Investments was nonexistent and had no rights to the property. Claire Pedersen, ABC News, 31 Oct. 2024 The suit asks that TikTok be permanently enjoined from violating consumer protection laws, and ordered to pay restitution to users, along with civil penalties. Dan Mangan, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2024 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 See all Example Sentences for enjoin 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enjoin
Verb
  • Building Learning-Centric Organizations The pace of change demands a shift toward continuous learning.
    Feon Ang, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
  • His security forces sought to crush a mass protest movement demanding democratic reforms as the Arab Spring buffeted the region.
    Victoria Beaule, ABC News, 8 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • To fill the rest of the ranks, the military instructed island governments to contribute enslaved men.
    Kinsey Gidick, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
  • Twenty-three others were in Washington but were not found to have been instructed to be there by any FBI field offices, and of those 23, three entered the Capitol while 11 entered the restricted areas around the building, the probe found.
    Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • State ethics laws prohibit members of the executive branch from accepting gifts, including travel reimbursements, from lobbyists and their employers. Expenses for the trip paid by Alliance Defending Freedom totaled about $1,900, according to the governor’s office.
    Vivian Jones, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
  • Also in November, Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent a letter to Texas public colleges and universities prohibiting college tuition increases for next year.
    Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • His work suggests that global problem-solving requires diverse perspectives and cross-cultural competencies.
    Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
  • Clear input guidelines and error messages are essential to help users understand what information is required and why.
    Forrester, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Justice Julian Goose ordered a clerk to enter the pleas in Liverpool Crown Court as Rudakubana stayed mum during a video appearance from the London prison where he is being held.
    Brian Melley, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
  • In June 2023, a federal judge ordered that the oil giant was in trespass of the Band’s land, as the right-of-way easement expired more than a decade ago after the Band chose not to renew it, fearing environmental harm.
    Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 17 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Antiochus forbade Jews to practice their religion and demanded all copies of the Jewish Law be burned.
    Chris Sims, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Dec. 2024
  • No figgy pudding or, God forbid, baked ham, but black-and-white cookies, lox and bagels, brisket, latkes, babka and kichel.
    Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Photo: Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department/AP In a court appearance on Thursday, Oren requested bail in order to spend time with his wife, who is due to give birth very soon.
    Bridget Read, Curbed, 13 Dec. 2024
  • In a letter sent Thursday to officials, the company requested an election to approve the incorporation.
    Michael D. Carroll, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The client ended up being Joy Klein, who told Costanza to take a trip to Treasures 4 Teachers.
    Zach Bradshaw, The Arizona Republic, 15 Dec. 2024
  • Law enforcement has yet to release her name, but family members told IFD that the woman lived alone and was checked on daily.
    Jordan Smith, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Dec. 2024

Podcast

Thesaurus Entries Near enjoin

Cite this Entry

“Enjoin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enjoin. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on enjoin

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!