forced

American  

[fawrst, fohrst] / fɔrst, foʊrst /

adjective

1. enforced or compulsory.

   forced labor.

2. strained, unnatural, or affected.

   a forced smile.

3. subjected to force.

4. required by circumstances; emergency.

   a forced landing of an airplane.

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forced British  

/ fɔːst, ˈfɔːsɪdlɪ /

adjective

1. done because of force; compulsory

   forced labour

2. false or unnatural

   a forced smile

3. due to an emergency or necessity

   a forced landing

4. physics caused by an external agency

   a forced vibration

   a forced draught

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Other Word Forms

• forcedly adverb
• forcedness noun
• quasi-forced adjective
• unforced adjective
• unforcedly adverb

Etymology

Origin of forced

First recorded in 1540–50; force + -ed ²

Example Sentences

They forced the game's first three turnovers - two from Stroud fumbles, plus an interception - but the best Pittsburgh could muster on the following possessions was a solitary field goal.

From BBC

Because an unprecedented number of power plants tripped offline in the cold, utilities were forced to make huge cuts, and some people were in the dark for four days.

From The Wall Street Journal

The crowd surge forced him to halt his speech, and he faced backlash for not visiting victims immediately - though he later called the tragedy "shattering" and announced financial aid.

From BBC

During the shutdown, the Federal Aviation Administration was forced to cut flight numbers at roughly 40 U.S. airports in early November.

From Barron's

During the shutdown, the Federal Aviation Administration was forced to cut flight numbers at roughly 40 U.S. airports in early November.

From Barron's

Related Words

• compelled
• contrived
• enforced
• involuntary
• mandatory
• unwilling