Enforceable

/ɪnˈfɔːrsəbəl/

adjectivemedium📊CommonLegal
1 meaning3 questions

Definitions

1

Capable of being enforced; valid and binding.

/ɪnˈfɔːrsəbəl/

adjectiveneutralmedium
Legal

Capable of being enforced or carried out

The new regulations are not easily enforceable without additional resources.

💡 Simply: If something's enforceable, it means you *have* to do it. Like, if your mom says, "Clean your room!" and you *have* to clean it, then it's an enforceable rule! Or if you sign a paper saying you'll pay back money, that paper makes it so the deal is enforceable - the other person can make sure you pay up!

👶 For kids: If something is enforceable, it means you *have* to do it. Like, if your parents say "eat your vegetables," and you have to, that's enforceable!

More Examples

2

The terms of the contract are legally enforceable.

3

The police struggled to find a way to make the curfew enforceable.

How It's Used

Legal

"The contract was deemed enforceable by the court."

Business

"The company needs to ensure that all agreements are enforceable."

Synonyms & Antonyms

From Middle English, equivalent to "enforce" + "-able." "Enforce" comes from Old French "enforcier", meaning "to strengthen" or "to compel."

The word 'enforceable' gained prominence with the development of modern legal and business practices, particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Memory tip

Think of the word 'force.' Something enforceable has the 'force' of law or agreement behind it.

Word Origin

LanguageOld French
Original meaning

"to strengthen, to compel"

legally enforceableenforceable contracteasily enforceabledifficult to enforcemutually enforceable

Common misspellings

enforcableenforseable

Usage

30%Spoken
70%Written