coerce

verb

co·​erce kō-ˈərs 

coerced; coercing

transitive verb

1

: to compel to an act or choice

was coerced into agreeing

abusers who coerce their victims into silence

2

: to achieve by force or threat

coerce compliance

coerce obedience

3

: to restrain or dominate by force

… religion has in the past tried to coerce the irreligious …

—William Ralph Inge

coercible

kō-ˈər-sə-bəl 

adjective

Synonyms of coerce

• compel
• force
• obligate
• oblige

Choose the Right Synonym for coerce

force, compel, coerce, constrain, oblige mean to make someone or something yield.

force is the general term and implies the overcoming of resistance by the exertion of strength, power, or duress.

forced to flee for their lives

compel typically suggests overcoming of resistance or unwillingness by an irresistible force.

compelled to admit my mistake

coerce suggests overcoming resistance or unwillingness by actual or threatened violence or pressure.

coerced into signing over the rights

constrain suggests the effect of a force or circumstance that limits freedom of action or choice.

constrained by conscience

oblige implies the constraint of necessity, law, or duty.

felt obliged to go

Examples of coerce in a Sentence

A confession was coerced from the suspect by police.

was coerced into signing the document

Recent Examples on the Web

Federal prosecutors said the recruitment system helped Epstein abuse hundreds of victims over decades, while some recruiters later said they had themselves been manipulated, exploited or coerced by Epstein into participating. — Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Some innocents are coerced into false confessions, like what happened to the Central Park Five. — Rene Denfeld, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026

Sinon grows up as a young man off at war that is coerced by Odysseus to sacrifice themself at the hand of the Trojans, while convincing them into accepting the wooden horse as a gift. — Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 July 2026

Researchers found that staff pressured and coerced those held there into abandoning immigration claims and accepting removal to third countries if they could not be sent back to their own country. — Michael Biesecker, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English coarcen, coercen, borrowed from Anglo-French *cohercer, borrowed (with conjugation change) from Latin coercēre "to confine, shut up, restrict, restrain," from co- co- + arcēre "to hold in, prevent from approaching, keep away" — more at ark

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for coerce

• curse
• hearse
• purse
• terse
• vers
• verse
• worse
• adverse
• averse
• disburse
• disperse
• diverse

Kids Definition

coerce

verb

co·​erce kō-ˈərs 

coerced; coercing

: to cause someone to do something by force or threat

coercion

-ˈər-zhən, 

-shən

noun

coercive

-ˈər-siv

adjective

Legal Definition

coerce

transitive verb

co·​erce kō-ˈərs 

coerced; coercing

: to subject (a person) to coercion compare importune, solicit