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
Derived 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.
To be made to feel shame for this — including feeling compelled to reduce any conversation to whispers — could only be an exercise rooted in elitism.
From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026
At one point Jonathan asked for an advance on his inheritance, a request Isak felt compelled to accept to maintain their relationship, the judge said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
When the subject of literature came up, Monroe seemed compelled to play to ditzy expectations.
From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 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
It was clear that someone else—probably Johanna—had written the statement and that he had been compelled to read it to defuse the situation.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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.
