forcible

[fawr-suh-buhl]

adjective

1. done or effected by force.

   forcible entry into a house.

2. producing a powerful effect; having force; effective.

3. convincing, as reasoning.

   a forcible theory.

4. characterized by the use of force or violence.

forcible

/ ˈfɔːsəbəl /

adjective

1. done by, involving, or having force

2. convincing or effective

   a forcible argument

Other Word Forms

• forcibleness noun
• forcibility noun
• forcibly adverb
• unforcible adjective
• unforcibleness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of forcible¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French; force, -ible

Example Sentences

Its survival and growth since the forcible closure of its Beijing mother church in 2018 only adds embarrassment to alarm.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But it is under Xi Jinping that the Chinese Communist Party has begun tightening control like never before, sparking allegations of the forcible assimilation of Uyghurs into Han Chinese culture.

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The UN had previously warned that the forcible transfer of an occupied territory's civilian population is "tantamount to ethnic cleansing".

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And they said ordering hundreds of thousands to move south could amount to forcible transfer under international law.

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And they said forcing hundreds of thousands to move south could amount to forcible transfer under international law.

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Related Words

• coercive 
• compulsory 
• forceful