coercive

adjective

co·​er·​cive kō-ˈər-siv How to pronounce coercive (audio)
: serving or intended to coerce
coercive power
coercive measures
coercively adverb
coerciveness noun

Examples of coercive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Yet overly coercive Arab governments outside of the Gulf can be prone to popular unrest and even civil war. David Mednicoff, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025 If the message giver is experienced as coercive, conversations get derailed, often leaving the message receiver in awkward, if not hostile, postures. Matthew Mayhew, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025 The coercive power of the state becomes a tool for investigating, prosecuting, and punishing critics. Russell Muirhead, Foreign Affairs, 5 Sep. 2025 His attorneys say the government offered deportation to Costa Rica in exchange for a guilty plea, calling the offer coercive. Amanda Castro hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for coercive

Word History

Etymology

coerce + -ive

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of coercive was circa 1600

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Cite this Entry

“Coercive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coercive. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

Legal Definition

coercive

adjective
co·​er·​cive kō-ˈər-siv How to pronounce coercive (audio)
1
: serving or intended to coerce
2
: resulting from coercion
to protect women from coercive intimacyKimberle Crenshaw

More from Merriam-Webster on coercive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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