forcible

[ fawr-suh-buh l, fohr- ]

/ ˈfɔr sə bəl, ˈfoʊr- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR forcible ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

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.

Nearby words

Origin of forcible

1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French; see force, -ible

Related forms

for·ci·ble·ness, for·ci·bil·i·ty, nounfor·ci·bly, adverbun·for·ci·ble, adjectiveun·for·ci·ble·ness, noun

un·for·ci·bly, adverb

Can be confusedforceful forcible

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for forcible

Conservatives have already opined that the accusations are not of what Paul Ryan might call “forcible rape.”
No Wonder Cosby's Keeping Quiet: He Could Still Be Prosecuted|Jay Michaelson|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Conservative advocates of limiting convictions to cases of “forcible rape” often rely on “traditional values.”
No Wonder Cosby's Keeping Quiet: He Could Still Be Prosecuted|Jay Michaelson|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And then he was charged not with forcible rape, but with having sex with a prisoner and then aiding her escape.
Rape, Lies & Videotape in Ferguson|Michael Daly|November 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A former Ebola patient calls the forcible isolation of returning health-care workers from West Africa a ‘police state approach.’
Are Mandatory Ebola Quarantines Legal?|Tim Mak|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Many universities have vague—and often overly narrow—conceptions of “forcible sexual offenses.”
No Rapes On Campus? No Way.|Emily Shire|July 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is not a mere sprinkling that will do; it requires a forcible dashing to and fro, and that often repeated, to be effectual.
Mrs. Hale's Receipts for the Million|Sarah Josepha Hale
But as the essential idea of the Psalmist is preserved in the common version, I employ it as peculiarly illustrative and forcible.
The Crown of Thorns|E. H. Chapin
Brotherly love and charity were as often and as forcible in their mouths as real humanity was wanting in their hearts.
William Shakespeare as he lived.|Henry Curling
He was graceful in delivery, persuasive in manner, and forcible in argument.
Memorial Addresses on the Life and Character of William H. F. Lee (A Representative from Virginia)|Various
He seemed clever rather than forcible, and presented a pathetic figure as of one who had gained no foothold on success.
A Backward Glance at Eighty|Charles A. Murdock

British Dictionary definitions for forcible

forcible

/ (ˈfɔːsəbəl) /

adjective

done by, involving, or having force

convincing or effectivea forcible argument

Derived Formsforcibleness or forcibility, nounforcibly, adverb

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

Word Origin and History for forcible

forcible

adj.

early 15c., from Middle French forcible, from Old French forcier (see force (n.)). Related: Forcibly.

forcible

adjective

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of forcible

Examples from the Web for forcible

forcible

adjective

forcible