Enforce, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Enforced; p. pr. & vb. n. Enforcing.]
Etymology: [OF. enforcier to strengthen, force, F. enforcir; pref. en- (L. in) + F. force. See Force.]
1. To put force upon; to force; to constrain; to compel; as, to enforce obedience to commands. Inward joy enforced my heart to smile. Shak.
2. To make or gain by force; to obtain by force; as, to enforce a passage. "Enforcing furious way." Spenser.
3. To put in motion or action by violence; to drive. As swift as stones Enforced from the old Assyrian slings. Shak.
4. To give force to; to strengthen; to invigorate; to urge with energy; as, to enforce arguments or requests. Enforcing sentiment of the thrust humanity. Burke.
2 more senses
5. To put in force; to cause to take effect; to give effect to; to execute with vigor; as, to enforce the laws.
6. To urge; to ply hard; to lay much stress upon. Enforce him with his envy to the people. Shak.
2 other Webster entries under this spelling
Enforce, v. i.
1. To attempt by force. [Obs.]
2. To prove; to evince. [R.] Hooker.
3. To strengthen; to grow strong. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Enforce, n.
Force; strength; power. [Obs.] A petty enterprise of small enforce. Milton.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for enforce; he lists it under execute.
Where he writes about it:
To execute is to follow through to the end, put into absolute and final effect in action; to administer is to conduct as one holding a trust, as a minister and not an originator; the sheriff executes a writ; the trustee administers an estate, a charity, etc.; to enforce is to put into effect by force, actual or potential. — from execute
To administer the laws is the province of a court of justice; to execute the laws is the province of a sheriff, marshal, constable, or other executive officer; to administer the law is to declare or apply it; to execute the law is to put it in force; for this enforce is the more general word, execute the more specific. — from execute
Enforce signifies also to present and urge home by intellectual and moral force; as, to enforce a precept or a duty. — from execute