WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
en•force•ment
(en fôrs′mənt, -fōrs′-),USA pronunciation n.
- the act or process of enforcing.
- something that enforces.
- Anglo-French, Old French. See enforce, -ment
- late Middle English 1425–75
'enforcement' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
criminology
- cutter
- execution
- police
- procedure
- public goods
- sheriff
- vice squad
- warden
- wide-open
- adjective
- case
- crackdown
- crime-fighter
- DEA
- Department of Justice
- entrapment
- fed
- federal case
- FLETC
- forbearance
- Freedom of Information Act
- gangbuster
- Identi-Kit
- jurisdiction
- KGB
- law
- manhunt
- Miranda
- narc
- no-knock
- nullification
- procedural
- rap sheet
- vigorous
- Volsteadism
- secret police
- self-enforcing
- shootout
- social control
- special agent
- squad
- strict
- strike force
- supersedeas
- swat