compelled
Americanadjective
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secured or brought about by force.
Statements made in a compelled interview may not be used in a criminal proceeding.
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forced or driven to a particular course of action, often by an irresistible internal urge.
I haven't felt so compelled to learn as much as I can about something since my fascination with Slavic folk music!
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of compelled
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When the subject of literature came up, Monroe seemed compelled to play to ditzy expectations.
From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026
“They felt compelled to back me, not just to level the playing field, but to win,” Roy told The Texas Tribune.
From Salon • May 23, 2026
The government, he argued, compelled Google to open them and identify which users happened to be near the bank.
From Slate • May 20, 2026
Jin soon felt compelled to return to his church.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
On the next, they came upon two hlessil whom they compelled to return with them to join the warren.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
