Word of the Day

: March 24, 2007

enjoin

verb in-JOIN

What It Means

1 : to direct or impose by authoritative order or with urgent admonition

2 a : forbid, prohibit

b : to prohibit by a judicial order : put an injunction on

enjoin in Context

Mr. Alvarez enjoined the class to be quiet, and the stern tone of his voice made everyone obey immediately.

Did You Know?

Which of these words do you think has the same root as "enjoin"?

          a.  entelechy          b.  joy          c.  junta          d.  purloin

It might help if we tell you that "enjoin" derives ultimately from the verb "jungere," which means "to join." "Jungere" is behind a number of English words, including "join," "conjoin," "disjoin," and "junction." Are you ready for your answer? The correct choice is "junta," a term that entered English by way of Spanish. A junta is a committee that controls a government, especially after a revolutionary seizure of power -- in other words, a group of persons "joined" together for a specific purpose.

*Indicates the sense illustrated by the example sentence.