Past tense of impose, meaning to have established or applied something by authority or force. To have placed a burden, restriction, or requirement on someone or something.
From Latin imponere meaning 'to place upon,' from in- 'upon' and ponere 'to place.' The word carries the sense of placing something on top of or over something else, often with authority or force.
The word 'imposed' carries inherent implications of power dynamics - you can't impose something without having authority or force to back it up, which is why it's often used in political and legal contexts. Interestingly, in printing, 'impose' has a technical meaning referring to arranging pages in the correct order for binding, showing how specialized trades adapt common words.
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