Main Entry: ¹force

Pronunciation: \ˈfȯrs\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *fortia, from Latin fortis strong

Date: 14th century

1 a (1) : strength or energy exerted or brought to bear : cause of motion or change : active power <the forces of nature> <the motivating force in her life> (2) capitalized —used with a number to indicate the strength of the wind according to the Beaufort scale <a Force 10 hurricane> b : moral or mental strength c : capacity to persuade or convince <the force of the argument>
2 a : military strength b (1) : a body (as of troops or ships) assigned to a military purpose (2) plural : the whole military strength (as of a nation) c : a body of persons or things available for a particular end <a labor force> <the missile force> d : an individual or group having the power of effective action <join forces to prevent violence> <a force in politics> e often capitalized : police force —usually used with the
3 : violence, compulsion, or constraint exerted upon or against a person or thing
4 a : an agency or influence that if applied to a free body results chiefly in an acceleration of the body and sometimes in elastic deformation and other effects b : any of the natural influences (as electromagnetism, gravity, the strong force, and the weak force) that exist especially between particles and determine the structure of the universe
5 : the quality of conveying impressions intensely in writing or speech <stated the objectives with force>

synonyms see power

— force·less \-ləs\ adjective

— in force 1 : in great numbers <picnickers were out in force>
2 : valid, operative <the ban remains in force>