enjoin

verb

in-ˈjȯin How to pronounce enjoin (audio)
Definition of enjoinnext
1
as in to demand
to ask for (something) earnestly or with authority police enjoined the community's full cooperation in getting rid of the drug dealers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to instruct
to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority undeterred, the captain enjoined his crew to sail at full speed into the mine-filled harbor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to prohibit
to order not to do or use or to be done or used Quakerism enjoins the taking of human life

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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 The speech restriction had previously been enjoined by a Maricopa County Superior Court judge last month. —Ray Stern, The Arizona Republic, 29 Sep. 2024 In July 2023, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia voted two to one to enjoin Finra from shutting down Alpine while the appeals court considered the constitutional questions. —Sergei Klebnikov, Forbes, 19 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for enjoin 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enjoin
  1. demand
  2. instruct
  3. prohibit
  4. require
  5. order
  6. forbid
  7. request
  8. tell
Verb
  • The company reported cryptocurrency mining revenue of $2.8 million, data hosting revenue of $4.3 million, and demand response service revenue of $443,000 for the quarter.
    Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
  • There, Gong struck Li with a hammer and demanded the code to unlock her phone, the DA’s office alleged.
    Dennis Romero, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
Definition of demand
Verb
  • Residents were also instructed to clean and scrub any containers with hot soapy water or bleach to remove any Aedes aegypti eggs and leave them to dry for at least a day.
    Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
  • The ship was loaded with furs and other commodities, and the captain was instructed to sail it back to a port in eastern Lake Erie.
    Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 12 Nov. 2024
Definition of instruct
Verb
  • Its 4,400 employees are responsible for distribution of federal financial aid for education, collecting and disseminating data and research related to schools, and prohibiting discrimination in schools.
    Graham Kates, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2024
  • Hospital officials could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday but a law enacted earlier this year in Ohio prohibits both hormone therapies and surgeries for transgender minors.
    Amber Hunt, The Enquirer, 21 Nov. 2024
Definition of prohibit
Verb
  • Game Assist requires the Beta or Preview channel of Microsoft Edge.
    Wes Davis, The Verge, 23 Nov. 2024
  • Meanwhile, in Congress, U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) recently introduced the SAFE Bet Act, which would require states to secure the consent of the Justice Department to offer legalized sports betting.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 22 Nov. 2024
Definition of require
Verb
  • This goes further than the common argument that debating people like vaccine skeptics gives them legitimacy and is more akin to Donald Rumsfeld during the Gulf War ordering the Defense Department not to use the word ‘insurgent,’ as if that changed the facts on the ground.
    Michael Lynch, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
  • Pizza lovers must order a 10-inch minimum-size specialty pizza at participating restaurants to receive the special pricing.
    The Enquirer, The Enquirer, 22 Nov. 2024
Definition of order
Verb
  • Prior to July 2021, when the NCAA adopted its provisional NIL rules, cheerleaders stood out as the one cohort of college athletes who were not forbidden from dealing their rights of publicity.
    Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 20 Nov. 2024
  • The 2019 Disney original Noelle imagines the North Pole as a monarchy — specifically, one that follows the same sexist rules as European royalty who forbade women from taking the throne.
    Katie Rife, Vulture, 16 Nov. 2024
Definition of forbid
Verb
  • The legal team has also requested a new trial for Trump, and a decision on that is still pending.
    Avery Lotz, Axios, 19 Nov. 2024
  • The company requested a hearing and was granted an exception to complete its business combination by December 2, 2024.
    Quartz Bot, Quartz, 19 Nov. 2024
Definition of request
Verb
  • The incident began when store management told Owusu that a man, later identified as Rosario, was behaving erratically in the store by pacing back and forth, Bishop said.
    Claire Osborn, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
  • Chapple told Vassos during the show that Goree's passing was the most devastating loss of his life, ScreenRant adds.
    Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 22 Nov. 2024
Definition of tell

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Thesaurus Entries Near enjoin

enigmatic

enjoin

enjoined

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Cite this Entry

“Enjoin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enjoin. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on enjoin

Nglish: Translation of enjoin for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of enjoin for Arabic Speakers

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