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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 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 Europeans have enjoined Russia to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty, but have not made specific plans for enforcing it. Alexander J. Motyl, Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2014 That's the only part of the law that X did not fight to enjoin on appeal. Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 5 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for enjoin 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enjoin
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
Verb
  • In another post, Kovalenko said North Korean troops are wearing Russian uniforms and are being trained to use drones, while Russia plans to send trainers to Pyongyang to directly instruct its ally on operating unmanned aircraft systems.
    Brad Dress, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
  • In a later post, the department instructed people to avoid the area of Dixieland and Hudson roads.
    Tracy Neal, arkansasonline.com, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Drone operation is regulated by the FAA, and state and federal agencies wildlife agencies usually prohibit drones in many natural areas, and usually forbid intentionally or inadvertently harassing wildlife with them.
    Alice Jones Webb, Outdoor Life, 14 Nov. 2024
  • As noted by employees in recent videos celebrating Kennedy’s potential role in the Trump administration, IRS rules prohibit nonprofits from directly or indirectly supporting political campaigns.
    Brandy Zadrozny, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • And in only one case did the delivery person scan the buyer’s ID, as required by federal law.
    Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
  • Reservations are required for each date and will be limited and allocated for Disneyland Holiday Ticketholders.
    Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register, 12 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • More evacuations have been ordered on the second day of the Mountain Fire, which has burned more than 20,000 acres in Ventura County.
    Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
  • On Tuesday, Vice President Nguema Obiang Mangue ordered new measures to prevent judiciary and ministry officials from engaging in illicit acts at work, a government statement said.
    Reuters, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The state’s Commission on Judicial Performance, an oversight body that can discipline judges, says they’re forbidden from saying whether or not the matter is under investigation.
    Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
  • Youth were discouraged or forbidden from speaking their Native languages and forced to speak English.
    Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Voter registration records are removed when voters move from Delaware, pass away, request for their record to be removed, or their record is removed due to the NVRA address verification process.
    Patrick Maguire, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2024
  • In 2016, the campaign of Green Party candidate Jill Stein requested a recount that was fully undertaken in Wisconsin, and requested one in Michigan (which was halted) and Pennsylvania (which was denied).
    Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • As Milton approached, Phillips told residents to remember his Rule #7: Don’t freak out.
    Discover Magazine, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
  • Catherine tells the story of her rape as a trauma survivor does, doing her best to conjure the dark collage of sensory details imprinted on her memory.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Enjoin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enjoin. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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