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compulsion

[ kuhm-puhl-shuhn ]
/ kəmˈpʌl ʃən /
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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 compulsiƍn- (stem of compulsiƍ), equivalent to Latin compuls(us), past participle of compellere to compel (com-com- + pul- variant stem + -sus past participle suffix) + -iƍn--ion

OTHER WORDS FROM compulsion

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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH compulsion

compulsion , compunction
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use compulsion in a sentence

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

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.
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