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
As analyst Saskia Brechenmacher writes, the logic of security has come to prioritize coercive power over the relational, civic and gender-informed strategies that actually sustain democracy.
—
Lauren Buitta, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Unlike other minorities, however, Tibetans have advantages that can offset the power of Beijing’s coercive apparatus.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 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
Since Trump’s victory, Altman, Amodei, and their cohort have become more forceful in their warnings: Generative AI could supercharge China’s economy, propaganda apparatus, espionage capabilities, and coercive tactics—and even make its military more powerful than our own.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2025
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Lauren Buitta, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Unlike other minorities, however, Tibetans have advantages that can offset the power of Beijing’s coercive apparatus.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 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
Since Trump’s victory, Altman, Amodei, and their cohort have become more forceful in their warnings: Generative AI could supercharge China’s economy, propaganda apparatus, espionage capabilities, and coercive tactics—and even make its military more powerful than our own.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coercive
Cite this Entry
“Coercive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coercive. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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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
Kimberle CrenshawLove words? Need even more definitions?
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