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

The lawsuit claims that HHS' declaration seeks to coerce providers to stop providing gender-affirming care and circumvent legal requirements for policy changes. —Ali Swenson The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 25 Dec. 2025

The lawsuit alleges that HHS’s declaration seeks to coerce providers to stop providing gender-affirming care and circumvent legal requirements for policy changes. —Ali Swenson, Twin Cities, 24 Dec. 2025

Some said it is meant to coerce asylum-seekers into withdrawing their claims, by scaring them with the prospect of being deported to a country that is not their own. —Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025

This would likely mean seizing more resources inside Yemen—for example, by capturing the oil-rich governorate of Marib east of Sanaa—or by coercing Saudi Arabia into offering new financial concessions. —April Longley Alley, Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2025

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

• adverse
• averse
• disburse
• disperse
• diverse
• immerse
• inverse
• obverse
• perverse
• rehearse
• reverse
• transverse

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