coerce
to compel by force, intimidation, or authority, especially without regard for individual desire or volition: They coerced him into signing the document.
to bring about through the use of force or other forms of compulsion; exact: to coerce obedience.
to dominate or control, especially by exploiting fear, anxiety, etc.: The state is based on successfully coercing the individual.
Origin of coerce
1Other 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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use coerce in a sentence
Two have been charged with counts listed as federal crimes of terrorism, relating to destruction of government property to intimidate or coerce the government.
Five more charged in Capitol riot allegedly teamed with Kansas City Proud Boys | Spencer Hsu, Rachel Weiner | February 11, 2021 | Washington PostPregnant people have historically been considered a “vulnerable” population—a designation also applied to groups, such as children and the incarcerated, who may be coerced into participating in research.
With Little Data to Guide Them, Pregnant Health Care Workers Are Stepping Up to Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19 | Jamie Ducharme | January 21, 2021 | TimeOnce you find the ghost’s favorite room, you may need to coerce them to come out since some are camera shy.
Are you a ‘Phasmophobia’ pro? Here are some alternate rules to keep the scares fresh. | Elise Favis | January 11, 2021 | Washington PostAny organization that feels coerced into paying a ransom should, at a minimum, analyze the potential risks of sanctions, especially if Bitcoin payments eventually find their way to a terrorist organization.
The hacker ‘ceasefire’ with hospitals is over—and that should terrify us | jakemeth | December 9, 2020 | FortuneShe moved with her three kids to a new state and connected with a nonprofit that supports survivors of coerced debt and domestic violence.
The coming war on the hidden algorithms that trap people in poverty | Karen Hao | December 4, 2020 | MIT Technology Review
A fellow justice also accused McCaffery of attempting to coerce him into opposing Castille.
Judges Behaving Badly: A Great American Tradition | Asawin Suebsaeng | October 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOnce again Russia brandishes the threat of a gas cutoff to squeeze Kiev and coerce Europe.
Alito opened the door by questioning the “anomalous” Abood precedent, which lets states coerce union members into paying dues.
The Conservative Case for Unions After the Harris v. Quinn Decision | James Poulos | July 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn other instances, CIA recruiters used thinly veiled threats to coerce their cooperation.
The CIA Tried Hard to Recruit Spies Among the Al Qaeda Prisoners at Gitmo | Daniel Klaidman | November 28, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTReligious liberty, Jefferson argued, denies the majority any right to coerce a dissenting minority, even one hostile to religion.
Thomas Jefferson’s Quran: How Islam Shaped the Founders | R.B. Bernstein | September 29, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTThis Constitution does not attempt to coerce sovereign bodies, States, in their political capacity.
Select Speeches of Daniel Webster | Daniel WebsterIt guides, it need not coerce or necessitate, though it may.
The Contemporary Review, January 1883 | VariousTo coerce them into a reluctant self-denial could be no possible object to him either of wish or hope.
Expositor's Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians | James DenneyHopeless to search further among empty swamps and forests, to grope at large in this hushed wilderness, to coerce a jungle.
Where the Pavement Ends | John RussellHume, though we have found him censuring the conduct of Franklin, was opposed to any attempt to coerce America.
Life and Correspondence of David Hume, Volume II (of 2) | John Hill Burton
British Dictionary definitions for coerce
/ (kəʊˈɜːs) /
(tr) to compel or restrain by force or authority without regard to individual wishes or desires
Origin of coerce
1Derived forms of coerce
- coercer, noun
- coercible, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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