compulsion

[ kuh m-puhl-shuh n ]
/ kəmˈpʌl ʃən /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR compulsion ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of compelling; constraint; coercion.
the state or condition of being compelled.
Psychology. a strong, usually irresistible impulse to perform an act, especially one that is irrational or contrary to one's will.

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Origin of compulsion

1375–1425; late Middle English (< Anglo-French) < Late Latin compulsiōn- (stem of compulsiō), equivalent to Latin compuls(us), past participle of compellere to compel (com- com- + pul- variant stem + -sus past participle suffix) + -iōn- -ion

OTHER WORDS FROM compulsion

non·com·pul·sion, nounpre·com·pul·sion, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH compulsion

compulsion compunction

Words nearby compulsion

compton effect, compton-burnett, comptroller, comptroller general of the united states, comptroller of the currency, compulsion, compulsive, compulsive personality, compulsory, compulsory purchase, compunction
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to compulsion

coercion, obsession, urgency, preoccupation, duty, urge, force, exigency, driving, constraint, prepossession, hang-up, drive, pressure, engrossment, necessity, demand, need, duress, monkey

Example sentences from the Web for compulsion

British Dictionary definitions for compulsion

compulsion
/ (kəmˈpʌlʃən) /

noun

the act of compelling or the state of being compelled
something that compels
psychiatry an inner drive that causes a person to perform actions, often of a trivial and repetitive nature, against his or her willSee also obsession

Word Origin for compulsion

C15: from Old French, from Latin compellere to compel
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

Medical definitions for compulsion

compulsion
[ kəm-pŭl′shən ]

n.

An uncontrollable impulse to perform an act, often repetitively, as an unconscious mechanism to avoid unacceptable ideas and desires which, by themselves, arouse anxiety.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Cultural definitions for compulsion

compulsion

In psychology, an internal force that leads persons to act against their will. A “compulsive” act cannot be controlled: “Smith was a compulsive gambler.”

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.