coerce

co·erce

transitive verb \kō-ˈərs\

co·ercedco·erc·ing

Definition of COERCE

1

: to restrain or dominate by force <religion in the past has tried to coerce the irreligious — W. R. Inge>

2

: to compel to an act or choice <was coerced into agreeing>

3

: to achieve by force or threat <coerce compliance>

— co·erc·ible \-ˈər-sə-bəl\ adjective

Examples of COERCE

1. A confession was coerced from the suspect by police.
2. <was coerced into signing the document>

Origin of COERCE

Middle English cohercen, from Anglo-French *cohercer Latin coercēre, from co- + arcēre to shut up, enclose — more at ark

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to COERCE

Synonyms

blackjack, force, compel, constrain, dragoon, drive, impel, impress, make, muscle, obligate, oblige, press, pressure, sandbag

Related Words

browbeat, bulldoze, bully, cow, hector, intimidate; blackmail, high-pressure, menace, shame, terrorize, threaten; drag; badger, harass, hound

Near Antonyms

allow, let, permit; argue, convince, induce, move, persuade, prevail (on or upon), satisfy, talk (into), win (over)

See Synonym Discussion at force

Rhymes with COERCE

adverse, amerce, asperse, averse, commerce, converse, cutpurse, disburse, disperse, diverse, dry nurse, free verse, immerse, inverse, Nez Percé, obverse, perverse, rehearse, reverse, scrub nurse, sesterce, submerse, transverse, traverse, wet nurse