forcible
Americanadjective
-
done or effected by force.
forcible entry into a house.
-
producing a powerful effect; having force; effective.
-
convincing, as reasoning.
a forcible theory.
-
characterized by the use of force or violence.
adjective
-
done by, involving, or having force
-
convincing or effective
a forcible argument
Other Word Forms
- forcibility noun
- forcibleness noun
- forcibly adverb
- unforcible adjective
- unforcibleness noun
Etymology
Origin of forcible
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French; force, -ible
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.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that a forcible U.S. annexation of an ally’s territory would be the end of NATO.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 18, 2026
The mayor denounced the forcible removal of Sen. Alex Padilla from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference earlier in the day.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2025
The UN human rights office warned that any forcible transfer in, or deportation of, people from occupied territory was strictly prohibited under international law.
From BBC • Feb. 10, 2025
Judge John Kane in Pennsylvania condemned as insurrectionists those who “counsel and instigate others to acts of forcible oppugnation to the provisions of a statute.”
From Slate • Feb. 8, 2024
The Reichstag, the German parliament, had passed a Peace Resolution, calling for “a peace of understanding and the permanent reconciliation of peoples without the forcible acquisition of territory.”
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
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.
