compelled
Americanadjective
-
secured or brought about by force.
Statements made in a compelled interview may not be used in a criminal proceeding.
-
forced or driven to a particular course of action, often by an irresistible internal urge.
I haven't felt so compelled to learn as much as I can about something since my fascination with Slavic folk music!
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of compelled
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.
Her arrival at Arsenal in January 2025 ended a difficult spell at Manchester City, where she felt compelled to go public about wanting to leave.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
After working with a 17-foot canoe as a centerpiece for the Huntington exhibition, Saar told Curate LA that she felt compelled to return to small-scale pieces.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
"Seafarers should not be forced or compelled to endanger their lives by sailing through conflict zones. Nor should they face the risk of reprisal by shipowners if they decline these assignments," said Mantoo.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
This is a film McElwee feels compelled to make, as if it were something living inside of him that had to be excised by any means necessary.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
If there were spaces, I was compelled to fill them, and the books were doing that.
From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers
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.
