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 item was met with blowback from the community, and attorneys for Lake County Clerk Mike Brown filed a motion enjoining his office to Velazco’s suit. —Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2025

Four courts have now enjoined the order, and have taken the unusual step of ruling from the bench in each case. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 22 Feb. 2025

If the court does not enjoin enforcement of the executive order, children subject to the order will be denied the rights and benefits of U.S. citizenship and their parents will face instability. —Selina Wang, ABC News, 5 Feb. 2025

The second important point is that a federal court should generally refrain from generally enjoining (stopping) on a nationwide basis the enforcement of an Act of Congress until the court has determined with finality that Congress did in fact exceed its constitutional authority. —Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 15 Jan. 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

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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