coercive

adjective

co·​er·​cive kō-ˈər-siv 

: serving or intended to coerce

coercive power

coercive measures

coercively adverb

coerciveness noun

Examples of coercive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Thanks to his seedier days, Shinwell has insights and connections that the rest of the team wouldn’t otherwise have access to, and when push comes to shove, his ‘coercive tactics’ and brooding physical presence are very valuable assets. —Joe Otterson, Variety, 14 May 2024

Don’t care and compassion come only from the willing heart of the individual and not from than the coercive apparatus of the tax system, the brutal and tyrannical agency that enforces it, and the federal agency that distributes the loot? —Jacob Hornberger, Orange County Register, 12 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

coerce + -ive

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing coercive

• coercive force

Legal Definition

coercive

adjective

co·​er·​cive kō-ˈər-siv 

1

: serving or intended to coerce

2

: resulting from coercion

to protect women from coercive intimacy

—Kimberle Crenshaw