coerce

[ koh-urs ]
See synonyms for: coercecoercedcoercescoercer on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),co·erced, co·erc·ing.
  1. to compel by force, intimidation, or authority, especially without regard for individual desire or volition: They coerced him into signing the document.

  2. to bring about through the use of force or other forms of compulsion; exact: to coerce obedience.

  1. to dominate or control, especially by exploiting fear, anxiety, etc.: The state is based on successfully coercing the individual.

Origin of coerce

1
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin coercēre “to hold in, restrain,” equivalent to co- co- + -ercēre, combining form of arcēre “to keep in, keep away,” akin to arca ark

Other words from coerce

  • co·erc·er, noun
  • co·er·ci·ble, adjective
  • non·co·er·ci·ble, adjective

Words that may be confused with coerce

Words Nearby coerce

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How to use coerce in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for coerce

coerce

/ (kəʊˈɜːs) /


verb
  1. (tr) to compel or restrain by force or authority without regard to individual wishes or desires

Origin of coerce

1
C17: from Latin coercēre to confine, restrain, from co- together + arcēre to enclose

Derived forms of coerce

  • coercer, noun
  • coercible, adjective

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