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.
The reader advances across Mr. McKay’s superb translation as though compelled by a fierce highland wind.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Today we review some results from a big week of primaries and explore what could have possibly compelled Jeanine Pirro to tell the truth in a legal filing.
From Slate ● Aug. 8, 2026
Lillian Carranza said she understood why Flores “might feel compelled to gather evidence to substantiate serious allegations,” given how the department has handled past whistleblower cases.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
You cannot be compelled to serve as an executor, even if you’re named in someone’s will.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
I simply never felt compelled to subject another human being to our way of life.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
