unenforced
Meaning
(of a law, rule, or agreement) not made to be obeyed or put into effect.
Structure
Usage
The parking restriction remains largely unenforced in this neighborhood.
An unenforced contract may be difficult to uphold in court.
Many of the old regulations are still on the books but are completely unenforced.
Etymology
The word 'unenforced' is a modern English formation built upon the verb 'enforce,' which entered the language from Old French enforcier ("to strengthen, force"). The French term itself combined the intensive prefix en- (from Latin in-) with the root related to force (force, from Latin fortis). The prefix 'un-' is a native English negative, added to create the opposite meaning. Thus, the literal morphemic sequence "not + cause to be + compelled" logically constructs the modern abstract sense of a rule or law that is not actively made effective or obeyed.
Analysis
- un: A prefix of Germanic origin (Old English un-), meaning "not." It functions as a negative particle. - en: A prefix of French and Latin origin (from Latin in-), meaning "to cause to be, put into." It functions as a verb-forming prefix. - forced: The past participle of the verb "force," from Old French forcer, from Vulgar Latin fortiāre, from Latin fortis meaning "strong." It functions as the core lexical element meaning "compelled."