Enforcer

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɪnˈfɔːsə/

Definitions

1. An individual who makes sure that rules, laws, or regulations are followed by others
2. Someone responsible for compelling obedience to laws or standards
3. A person tasked with making certain that policies or legal requirements are obeyed

Etymology: The word is a straightforward formation: the verb "enforce" with the agent suffix "-er," which marks a person who performs the action. The verb itself came into English from Old French "enforcier," meaning to strengthen or reinforce, built on the Latin "fortis," strong. So the original sense is physical: to force something upon a thing, or to make it stronger. The agent suffix has a longer pedigree than the verb. The ending traces back through Latin "-arius," which denoted a person connected with a task or occupation, and it reached English both through Old English "-ere" and through Old French "-ier." Those two strands merged into the Middle English "-er," the same ending found in "baker" and "teacher." Attaching it to "enforce" produced a person who makes a rule or law take effect, a sense that grew naturally out of the verb's meaning of compelling obedience.

Synonyms: implementer, executor, administrator, policeman, agent

Antonyms: violator, transgressor