What does enjoined mean?
"Enjoined" is the past tense of the verb "to enjoin," meaning to order, direct, or solemnly urge someone to act — or, in its negative form, to forbid them from acting. The word carries a distinctly formal, authoritative tone and is most at home in legal contexts: a court may be said to have enjoined a company from continuing a harmful practice, meaning it issued an enforceable prohibition. Beyond law, it can describe moral or institutional directives — a charter might enjoin members to uphold certain duties. Because it implies binding authority rather than mere suggestion, "enjoined" signals seriousness; being enjoined from something is not optional. Its Latin roots connect it to ideas of joining or binding one party to an obligation. Writers reach for it when they want precision and gravity that plainer words like "told" or "asked" cannot supply, making it valuable in contracts, judicial opinions, and formal prose alike.
verbPast tense and past participle of "enjoin": to order, require, or strongly urge someone to do (or not do) something, often by legal injunction or formal authority.
- To order, direct, or strongly urge someone to do something, especially by formal or legal authority.
- To prohibit someone from doing something by legal injunction (usually as "enjoined from" or with a negative clause).
"The court enjoined the company from selling the disputed property pending the outcome of the lawsuit."
"The judge enjoined the city from demolishing the historic theater until a review could be completed."
"The contract enjoined all signatories to maintain strict confidentiality regarding the merger talks."
When a judge says you're "enjoined" from doing something, it isn't advice — it's a legally binding order that can land you in contempt if ignored.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of enjoined
Derived from Middle English "enjoinen," taken from Old French "enjoindre," which traces back to Latin "injungere" (also written iniungere), meaning "to join onto, impose, or impose upon." The root combines the prefix "in-" (on, upon) with "jungere" (to join), the same verb that gives English "join," "junction," and related forms. The sense shifted naturally from physically attaching a burden to imposing a duty or command, which is how the word acquired its modern legal force.
Related word forms
How enjoined is actually used
Formal register, appearing chiefly in legal writing and elevated prose. In the prohibitive sense it typically appears as "enjoined from doing X," while the affirmative sense takes "enjoined to do X" or is followed directly by a noun clause.
Easily confused with enjoined
"Adjoined" means joined or attached to something physically (e.g., adjoining rooms), while "enjoined" means ordered or prohibited by authority.
"Conjoined" means joined together (as in conjoined twins), whereas "enjoined" refers to a command or prohibition issued by an authority.