1
: compelled by force or necessity : involuntary
a forced landing
2
: done or produced with effort, exertion, or pressure
a forced laugh
Synonyms
Examples of forced in a Sentence
forced payment of membership dues
wasn't thrilled with the suggestion and so responded with a forced smile
Recent Examples on the Web
Even before that, a human rights NGO called the Environmental Justice Foundation revealed in 2013 widespread problems with forced and child labor in Thai shrimp.
—
Ian Urbina, TIME, 1 Apr. 2024
The House vote revives some US policymakers’ hopes for a forced divestment of TikTok, due to fears that Chinese law could compel its parent company to hand over information on US users, presenting a national security risk.
—Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 13 Mar. 2024
Judge Lisa Allen granted a request by prosecutors for forced medication.
—Kevin Grasha, The Enquirer, 26 Feb. 2024
The snappy dialogue sometimes feels too forced and cutesy, and there’s a fine, occasionally crossed line between quirk and contrivance.
—Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024
As Treasury chief, Mnuchin urged former president Donald Trump in 2020 to push for a forced sale of TikTok.
—Eva Dou, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2024
Years later, in March 2023, a Commerce Ministry spokeswoman said in the government’s first direct response to the matter that China would oppose any forced sale of TikTok, because a sale or divestiture of the app would involve exporting technology and had to be approved by the Chinese government.
—Laura He, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024
All-around achiever Last year, Bain played in all 13 games, amassing 44 tackles, 12 1/2 tackles for loss, a team-leading 7 1/2 sacks, one pass breakup, four quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles.
—Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024
His firm was in a forced bankruptcy; there was no way any widows and orphans had just received millions owed to them.
—Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2024
Ian Urbina, TIME, 1 Apr. 2024
The House vote revives some US policymakers’ hopes for a forced divestment of TikTok, due to fears that Chinese law could compel its parent company to hand over information on US users, presenting a national security risk.
—Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 13 Mar. 2024
Judge Lisa Allen granted a request by prosecutors for forced medication.
—Kevin Grasha, The Enquirer, 26 Feb. 2024
The snappy dialogue sometimes feels too forced and cutesy, and there’s a fine, occasionally crossed line between quirk and contrivance.
—Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024
As Treasury chief, Mnuchin urged former president Donald Trump in 2020 to push for a forced sale of TikTok.
—Eva Dou, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2024
Years later, in March 2023, a Commerce Ministry spokeswoman said in the government’s first direct response to the matter that China would oppose any forced sale of TikTok, because a sale or divestiture of the app would involve exporting technology and had to be approved by the Chinese government.
—Laura He, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024
All-around achiever Last year, Bain played in all 13 games, amassing 44 tackles, 12 1/2 tackles for loss, a team-leading 7 1/2 sacks, one pass breakup, four quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles.
—Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024
His firm was in a forced bankruptcy; there was no way any widows and orphans had just received millions owed to them.
—Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'forced.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
circa 1537, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing forced
Dictionary Entries Near forced
Cite this Entry
“Forced.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forced. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
forced
adjective
ˈfō(ə)rst 
ˈfȯ(ə)rst
1
: caused or brought about by force or necessity : involuntary
made a forced landing
2
: done or produced with effort
a forced laugh
More from Merriam-Webster on forced
Nglish: Translation of forced for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of forced for Arabic Speakers
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