compelled
Americanadjective
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secured or brought about by force.
Statements made in a compelled interview may not be used in a criminal proceeding.
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forced or driven to a particular course of action, often by an irresistible internal urge.
I haven't felt so compelled to learn as much as I can about something since my fascination with Slavic folk music!
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of compelled
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To be made to feel shame for this — including feeling compelled to reduce any conversation to whispers — could only be an exercise rooted in elitism.
From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026
Still, he felt compelled to at least try to attend this home World Cup.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
When the subject of literature came up, Monroe seemed compelled to play to ditzy expectations.
From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026
The government, he argued, compelled Google to open them and identify which users happened to be near the bank.
From Slate • May 20, 2026
“You three go on,” said Reynie, who felt strangely compelled to see the list up close.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
