deforce

American  

[dih-fawrs, -fohrs] / dɪˈfɔrs, -ˈfoʊrs /

verb (used with object)

Law.

deforced, deforcing

1. to withhold (property, especially land) by force or violence, as from the rightful owner.

2. to eject or evict by force.

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deforce British  

/ dɪˈfɔːs /

verb

1. to withhold (property, esp land) wrongfully or by force from the rightful owner

2. to eject or keep forcibly from possession of property

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Other Word Forms

• deforcement noun
• deforcer noun

Etymology

Origin of deforce

1250–1300; Middle English < Anglo-French deforcer, Old French de ( s ) forcier, equivalent to de ( s )- de- + forc ( i ) er to force

Example Sentences

And if one thing stands out in his music, it is the absence of “human pathos and emotional compulsion,” said the cellist Arne Deforce in an interview.

From New York Times

“The majority is between one and 10 millimeters,” said DeForce, 33.

From Washington Post

But DeForce and 37 other scientists and crew members on the 134-foot SSV Robert C. Seamans found plenty of plastic.

From Washington Post

“You could see little mini veins of plastic just going through the ocean,” DeForce said.

From Washington Post

SEA plans to study whether the plastics are affecting the tiny living creatures the crew collected, DeForce said.

From Washington Post