Imponere

Imponere is a Latin verb meaning to place upon, to impose, or to lay on. It is used transactively, typically with a direct object in the accusative and often with the person affected expressed in the dative, as in phrases like legem populo imponere (“to impose a law on the people”) or onus alicui imponere (“to impose a burden on someone”).

Etymology and cognates: Imponere is formed from the prefix in- (here assimilated to im-) combined with ponere, “to place.” The prefix meaning is “upon.” The verb has descendants in many Romance languages, such as Italian imporre and French imposer, and in English the cognate impose.

Conjugation and principal parts: The principal parts of imponere are impono, imponere, imposui, impositum. This yields the standard Latin conjugation patterns for a second conjugation verb with the prefix im-: present indicative active forms like impono, imponis, imponit, imponimus, imponitis, imponunt; imperfect, future, and perfect tenses follow regular patterns derived from these parts. Passive forms are formed with the appropriate passive endings (e.g., imponor, imponeris, imponitur).

Usage notes: In classical Latin, imponere appears frequently in legal, political, and military contexts, often describing the act of imposing laws, burdens, taxes, or duties onto others. It can take various objects, such as legem (law), tributum (tax), or onus (burden). The prefix imp- emphasizes the sense of “put upon” or “force onto.”

See also: The verb’s semantic field overlaps with ponere (to place) and other compounds with prefixes that modify placement or obligation. In modern Romance languages, the derived equivalents carry similar meanings of imposing or imposing upon.