coerce

American  

[koh-urs] / koʊˈɜrs /

verb (used with object)

coerced, coercing

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.

3. to dominate or control, especially by exploiting fear, anxiety, etc..

   The state is based on successfully coercing the individual.

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coerce British  

/ kəʊˈɜːs /

verb

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

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Other Word Forms

• coercer
  noun
• coercible
  adjective
• noncoercible
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of coerce

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

Explanation

You can bring a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. You can coerce — or pressure — someone to attend your office holiday party, but you can't make him have fun. If you're at a point where you feel like you need to coerce someone into doing something, it might be more civilized to just give up. To coerce is to manipulate, use aggressive arguments, pressure unfairly, or threaten — really, this isn't very civilized behavior, is it? Handy synonyms for this verb include force and pressure. In a gangster film, you might hear a character say he "put the squeeze" on someone — another way of saying he coerced them.

Example Sentences

Coerce means “to force someone to do something.”

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2012

Coerce, kō-ėrs′, v.t. to restrain by force: to compel.—adj.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various

Related Words

• browbeat
• bully
• intimidate
• repress
• strong-arm
• suppress
• terrorize