Commanding and Giving Permissions: English Vocabulary List

to follow commands, rules, or orders

"You must obey the traffic rules."

"The dog was trained to obey every command that his owner gave him without any hesitation at all."

to refuse to follow rules, commands, or orders

"Do not disobey your parents."

"The soldier knew he should never disobey a direct order from his commanding officer under any circumstances whatsoever."

to oppose a ruler or government

"Teenagers often rebel against authority."

"The young students decided to rebel against the school's strict dress code by wearing colorful clothes on Friday."

to act in accordance with rules, regulations, or requests

"We must comply now."

"All employees are expected to comply with the company's strict safety protocols to prevent accidents."

to officially give permission for a specific action, process, etc.

"The manager will authorize your request."

"Only the bank manager can authorize a transaction that is larger than five thousand dollars at this branch."

to give permission for the use, practice, or production of something through a formal agreement

"The state licenses all professional drivers."

"The government requires all doctors to license their practice every two years to ensure they maintain high professional standards."

to impose a restriction or official ban on the release, publication, or distribution of certain information, news, or materials

"The country embargoed all oil exports."

"The United Nations decided to embargo all weapons shipments to the conflict zone immediately."

to reject or forbid something officially

"The referee disallowed the goal."

"The referee had to disallow the goal because the player was clearly offside during the match."

to strongly encourage someone to take action

"Urgency impelled him to act quickly."

"The urgent need for money impelled him to take a second job at the factory."

to make someone do something by using force, influence, or other methods

"Do not pressure your friends into drinking."

"Her parents tried to pressure her into studying medicine but she wanted to be an artist."

to make someone do something, typically through legal, moral, or social means

"The contract obligates you to pay."

"The contract obligates both parties to meet every month to discuss the progress of the project."

to make someone do something because it is required by law, duty, etc.

"Law will oblige them."

"The new legislation will oblige all businesses to provide accessible facilities for people with disabilities."

to give someone permission to do something or to agree to do it

"She consented to the medical treatment."

"The patient finally consented to the surgery after the doctor explained all the risks and benefits clearly."

to tell someone what to do or not to do, in an authoritative way

"The manager dictated a letter to his secretary."

"The boss tends to dictate every single task to his assistant without any explanation or reason."

to tell someone to do something, particularly in an official manner

"The teacher will instruct."

"The commanding officer will instruct the troops on the new operational procedures and tactics."

to be in charge of someone or an activity and watch them to make sure everything is done properly

"The teacher supervises the exam hall."

"The manager needs to supervise the team closely until everyone learns how to do their jobs properly."

to devotedly follow or support something, such as a rule, belief, plan, etc.

"Adhere to the safety guidelines strictly."

"You must adhere to the safety rules if you want to work in this laboratory with dangerous chemicals."

to be or act in accordance with a rule, standard, etc.

"They conform to rules."

"Many teenagers feel pressure to conform to popular trends in fashion and music to fit in with their peers."

to officially approve of something such as an action, change, practice, etc.

"The committee will sanction the proposal."

"The committee will officially sanction the proposed changes to the building code after careful review and discussion."

to give someone the legal right to have or do something particular

"This ticket entitles you to free entry."

"Your receipt will entitle you to a full refund if you return the product within thirty days of purchase."

to give someone the power or authorization to do something particular

"Education empowers people to succeed."

"The new law aims to empower local communities by giving them more control over their own resources and decisions."

to let someone have something, especially something that they have requested

"The committee granted her request for funding."

"The committee decided to grant her request for additional funding to complete her important research project on time."

to stop an activity such as a protest using force

"The regime suppressed all political opposition."

"The government tried to suppress the protest but the people continued to march peacefully."