perforce

American

[per-fawrs, -fohrs] / pərˈfɔrs, -ˈfoʊrs /

adverb

of necessity; necessarily; by force of circumstance.

The story must perforce be true.

perforce British

/ pəˈfɔːs /

adverb

by necessity; unavoidably

"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

Etymology

Origin of perforce

1300–50; per + force; replacing Middle English par force < Middle French

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.

But such moments aren’t perforce life-altering, and the partners and faculty members weren’t actually wielding the authority of a deity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

Kirsten Menger-Anderson’s new book, “The Expert of Subtle Revisions,” does just that, while exploring the way history is perforce affected by how it is told and who does the telling.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2025

Methane is a carbon-based molecule, so many of the ingredients for life are perforce there.

From Scientific American • Jul. 6, 2023

Doing so, perforce, would also crush the rebels’ claim that the national government was powerless to halt slavery’s growth and commence its extinction.

From New York Times • Oct. 6, 2020

Mr. Wickham’s happiness and her own were perforce delayed a little longer, and Mr. Collins’s proposal accepted with as good a grace as she could.

From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

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