compulsion

American  

[kuhm-puhl-shuhn] / kəmˈpʌl ʃən /

noun

compulsions plural

1. the act of compelling; constraint; coercion.

2. the state or condition of being compelled.

3. Psychology. a strong, usually irresistible impulse to perform an act, especially one that is irrational or contrary to one's will.

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compulsion British  

/ kəmˈpʌlʃən /

noun

1. the act of compelling or the state of being compelled

2. something that compels

3. psychiatry an inner drive that causes a person to perform actions, often of a trivial and repetitive nature, against his or her will See also obsession

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compulsion Cultural  

1. In psychology, an internal force that leads persons to act against their will. A “compulsive” act cannot be controlled: “Smith was a compulsive gambler.”

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• noncompulsion
  noun
• precompulsion
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• compulsions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of compulsion

1375–1425; late Middle English (< Anglo-French ) < Late Latin compulsiōn- (stem of compulsiō ), equivalent to Latin compuls ( us ), past participle of compellere to compel ( com- com- + pul- variant stem + -sus past participle suffix) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

Let's say you have a secret. You've promised not to tell, but there's something forcing you to call a friend and spill the beans. This force is compulsion, that urge to do something even though you know you shouldn't. If you go back to the Latin, you find compulsus, the past participle of the verb compellere, "to compel." You can see the connection with our word compulsion, which means "something compelling." The word gained a more psychological meaning in 1909 in a translation of Freud’s studies, suggesting a type of neurosis that impels a person to do things in an obsessive manner.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

compulsion compulsions

None of these people is real, but the irritations they represent – NIMBYism, narcissism and the compulsion to destroy others to build ourselves up – are quite familiar.

From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026

For that reason, Iran’s officers may feel no compulsion to kowtow to Beijing.

From Slate ● May 7, 2026

The episodes will focus on the interview subject’s compulsion to create, an obsession for Mason who grew up with a stepfather who was a portrait artist.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026

Like others I have spoken to, he says he initially enjoyed the compulsion but now feels trapped - unable to tell his doctor, or even his wife, as she also attends his appointments.

From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2026

She leaps out of the hammock and whispers, “I feel a sudden compulsion to do homework.”

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

This type of therapy teaches the brain how to manage responses to distressing obsessions and compulsions, which can often be life-changing.

From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026

That homework was part of a deeper process of breaking down the compulsions and frustrations that all artists share.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026

Early versions of aversion therapy were first trialled on animals and then on humans for conditions such as phobias, compulsions, and addictions, for example, using mild shocks to reduce nail-biting or gambling.

From BBC ● Dec. 5, 2025

He indulges in his compulsions to escape from his own discomfort, and consistently blames his actions on his current love interest.

From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2025

Eventually, though, I realized these inclinations, these compulsions, were as much a part of the body as its eye color or its voice.

From "Every Day" by David Levithan

Related Words

• coercion
• obsession
• preoccupation
• urgency