imposition
/ˌɪm.pəˈzɪʃ.ən/noun
imposition is spelled I-M-P-O-S-I-T-I-O-N: 10 letters and 4 syllables. It appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 22,651st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, imposition means “The act of imposing, laying on, affixing, enjoining, inflicting, obtruding, and the like” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of imposition is impositions.
How many letters and syllables are in imposition?
| Letters | 10: I-M-P-O-S-I-T-I-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.5 times per million words; the 22,651st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is imposition?
Imposition appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 22,651st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce imposition?
- US /ˌɪm.pəˈzɪʃ.ən/
Imposition has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-imposition.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with imposition?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as imposition from its last stressed vowel (/ɪʃən/):
- position
- competition
- opposition
- permission
- composition
- acquisition
- coalition
- physician
- politician
- admission
- nutrition
- expedition
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of imposition
- impositions plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does imposition mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The act of imposing, laying on, affixing, enjoining, inflicting, obtruding, and the like.
- 2
An unwelcome burden, presence, or obligation.
- 3
That which is imposed, levied, or enjoined.
- 4
A trick or deception put or laid on others.
- 5
Arrangement of a printed product’s pages on the printer's sheet so as to have the pages in proper order in the final product.
- 6
A practice of laying hands on a person in a religious ceremony; used e.g. in confirmation and ordination.
- 7
UKA task imposed on a student as punishment.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Imposition in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Zumutung, Belästigung , Bürde , Handauflegen , Strafarbeit |
| Spanish | imposición |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does imposition come from?
From Middle English imposicioun, from Old French imposicion, from Latin impositio.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).