compelled

[kuhm-peld]

adjective

1. secured or brought about by force.

   Statements made in a compelled interview may not be used in a criminal proceeding.

2. 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

1. the simple past tense and past participle of compel.

Other Word Forms

• uncompelled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of compelled¹

compel ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Mike goes through several ups and downs as he tries to get back on his feet after a stint in prison — a journey that compelled Dickinson when he began writing the screenplay in 2019.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“I feel more compelled than I do called to this work. I feel like I must,” she said.

Read more on Salon

Baroness Mone told Sir Keir: "I feel compelled to alert you to the dangerous and inflammatory statement made by your Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves."

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It’s a gamble for a party facing its lowest approval numbers since the Reagan era — and a calculated risk Democratic leaders felt feel compelled to take.

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This time around, Democrats may feel compelled to trigger a shutdown to demonstrate their resolve.

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Related Words

• afraid 
• averse 
• evasive 
• forced 
• loath 
• reluctant 
• resistant 
• unenthusiastic