coercion

noun

co·​er·​cion kō-ˈər-zhən 

-shən

: the act, process, or power of coercing

They used coercion to obtain the confession.

Synonyms of coercion

• pressure
• constraint
• compulsion
• intimidation
• violence

Examples of coercion in a Sentence

a promise obtained by coercion is never binding

Recent Examples on the Web

The logic was also catastrophic Political scientists have long observed that countries are held together not by ideology but by organized coercion. —Farah N. Jan, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026

Through favors and coercion, both couples vie for the approval of the elitist club’s Korean billionaire owner, Chairwoman Park (Youn Yuh-hung), who struggles to manage her own scandal involving her second husband, Doctor Kim (Song Kang-ho). —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2026

In practice, they are enmeshed in the same web of patronage and coercion as the rest of the system. —Bobby Ghosh, Time, 5 Mar. 2026

Trump’s instinctive hawkishness and abiding belief in military coercion as a solution to American problems extend well beyond Iran. —Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 4 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cohercion, borrowed from Anglo-French cohercioun, borrowed from Late Latin coerctiōn-, coerctiō, by-form of Latin coercitiōn-, coercitiō, from coerci-, variant stem of coercēre "to coerce" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for coercion

• assertion
• cistercian
• desertion
• exertion
• insertion
• mercian
• overexertion
• reassertion

Legal Definition

coercion

noun

co·​er·​cion kō-ˈər-zhən, -shən 

: the use of express or implied threats of violence or reprisal (as discharge from employment) or other intimidating behavior that puts a person in immediate fear of the consequences in order to compel that person to act against his or her will

also : the defense that one acted under coercion see also defense, duress compare undue influence