Dictionary.com
definitions

coerce

[ koh-urs ]
/ koʊˈɜrs /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR coerce ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), co·erced, co·erc·ing.

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.

RELATED CONTENT

9 Quotes That Perfectly Explain Why Net Neutrality Is ImportantRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
Deep State And Other Trending Words On Dictionary.comTurpitude, venality, and demagogue When former CIA Director John Brennan weighed in on the firing of former Deputy Director of the FBI Andrew McCabe, he likely expected to make waves. But did he know he’d send searches for his word choices skyrocketing on Dictionary.com? The director’s tweet, issued in response to President Donald Trump, represents the biggest spike in searches on Dictionary.com this week! If …
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

bully, intimidate, suppress, repress, strong-arm, browbeat, terrorize, hinder, bulldoze, force, cow, urge, oblige, make, drive, impel, beset, push, threaten, constrain

Nearby words

  1. coenzyme q,
  2. coenzyme q 10,
  3. coequal,
  4. coequality,
  5. coequally,
  6. coercimeter,
  7. coercion,
  8. coercive,
  9. coercive force,
  10. coercivity

Origin of coerce

1425–75; late Middle English < Latin coercēre to hold in, restrain, equivalent to co- co- + -ercēre, combining form of arcēre to keep in, keep away, akin to arca ark
Related formsco·erc·er, nounco·er·ci·ble, adjectivenon·co·er·ci·ble, adjectiveun·co·erced, adjective
Can be confusedcoerce compel constrain force oblige
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for coerced

British Dictionary definitions for coerced

coerce

/ (kəʊˈɜːs) /

verb

(tr) to compel or restrain by force or authority without regard to individual wishes or desires
Derived Formscoercer, nouncoercible, adjective

Word Origin for coerce

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

Word Origin and History for coerced

coerce

v.

mid-15c., cohercen, from Middle French cohercer, from Latin coercere "to control, restrain, shut up together," from com- "together" (see co-) + arcere "to enclose, confine, contain, ward off," from PIE *ark- "to hold, contain, guard" (see arcane). Related: Coerced; coercing. No record of the word between late 15c. and mid-17c.; its reappearance 1650s is perhaps a back-formation from coercion.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper