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deforce

American

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

verb (used with object)

Law.

deforced, deforcing

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

deforce British

/ dɪˈfɔːs /

verb

to withhold (property, esp land) wrongfully or by force from the rightful owner
to eject or keep forcibly from possession of property

"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

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Two nights later, the company presented an even more stunning tour deforce, a balletic version of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023