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compulsion

noun

kəm-ˈpəl-shən How to pronounce compulsion (audio)
Definition of compulsionnext
as in pressure
the use of power to impose one's will on another in that class I read books under compulsion that I ordinarily wouldn't have considered

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of compulsion But per the Black List, the story follows an antisocial man suffering from obsessive compulsions who is haunted by the death of his hoarder mother. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026 The comedian has built her career by wringing laughs out of a compulsion to share her own worst thoughts about her body, life, and career through the lens of a glamorous cabaret diva. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026 The administration is right that trust matters more than compulsion alone. — Katrine Wallace, STAT, 11 Aug. 2026 Which is exactly why leaders should be suspicious of their own streaks, especially the ones that started out fun and are creeping toward compulsion. — Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for compulsion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compulsion
  1. pressure
  2. constraint
  3. coercion
  4. intimidation
  5. violence
Noun
  • Bessent's Treasury Department is ratcheting up pressure on financial institutions as part of its effort to choke off trade and financial flows between Iran and rest of the world, fueling speculation that Chinese banks could be targeted.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Later that year, despite federal and diplomatic pressure, the mayor insisted on having an Israeli military contingent march in the ticker tape parade saluting the troops of Operation Desert Storm up Broadway’s Canyon of Heroes.
    — Herbert Block, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of pressure
Noun
  • The jury noted the film, which had its world premiere at Oldenburg, was made without a budget and praised the resourcefulness that constraint produced, comparing its tone to the irreverence of 1990s comedies.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The deal comes as landfill capacity constraints, corporate sustainability commitments and organics diversion policies drive greater demand for alternatives to sending food waste to landfills.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of constraint
Noun
  • Audience capture operates through reinforcement rather than coercion.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • But anger over government coercion shouldn’t become hostility toward a promising medical technology.
    — Sally C. Pipes, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of coercion
Noun
  • The government says some alleged co-conspirators remain at large in Venezuela and are capable of violence and witness intimidation, raising the possibility that Flores could direct others to act on her behalf if released.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Connecticut State Colleges and Universities is discontinuing the investigation into a complaint of bullying and workplace intimidation against Central Connecticut State University President Zulma Toro following her resignation.
    — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of intimidation
Noun
  • Political violence has become a twisted form of virtue signaling.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Wells’ family has continued to press for transparency and answers throughout the investigation, amid speculation fueled against the backdrop of Mississippi’s fraught history of racial violence.
    — Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of violence

Browse Nearby Words

comps
compulsion
compulsions
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Cite this Entry

“Compulsion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compulsion. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on compulsion

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about compulsion

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