To force something (like a rule, tax, or idea) to be accepted or applied; or to ask too much of someone’s time or kindness.
From Latin 'imponere' meaning 'to place upon', from 'in-' (on) and 'ponere' (to place). It originally described physically putting something on or into something else.
When a government imposes a tax, it’s literally ‘placing’ that burden on people. The social sense—“I don’t want to impose”—is about not placing your needs on someone else’s shoulders.
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