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

It would be just as unethical for a therapist to use treatment to pressure someone into being LGBTQ+ as it is to use treatment to coerce someone out of being such an identity.

From Slate • Mar. 11, 2026

But the option, one of several the White House has been debating to coerce Tehran to reach a deal restricting its nuclear program, faces many obstacles, some of the officials said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

It’s the exact opposite of what you truly want, but your husband has allowed his brother and sister-in-law to coerce and/or guilt-trip your husband into an unwelcome financial arrangement.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 21, 2026

The same month Iraq's embassy in Moscow warned of "attempts to lure or coerce some Iraqis residing in Russia or abroad into joining the war under various pretexts".

From Barron's • Nov. 5, 2025

In this very weak sense, of course, mathematics is constraining, as is all reality, but it has no independent power to coerce.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Related Words

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