underenforce

English

Etymology

under- +‎ enforce

Verb

underenforce (third-person singular simple present underenforces, present participle underenforcing, simple past and past participle underenforced)

1. (transitive) To enforce inadequately.
   • 2009 September 24, “How to Stop Contaminating the Water”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     But effective laws, already on the books, are pitifully underenforced by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Related terms

• underenforcement