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.
However, even then, many Indigenous workers in rural areas remained subject to coercive labor arrangements well into the second half of the twentieth century. Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 7 Aug. 2025 Despite grievous losses and the humiliation of its rout at the hands of its foremost adversaries, the revolutionary regime retains a coercive grip on power. Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2025 The special prosecutors’ report noted that the state’s case against Jackson in its entirety was based on statements that witnesses gave to detectives, only to then retract at trial, alleging a number of coercive tactics. Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025 For Diamandis, the protocols of scientific caution and objectivity can seem as coercive as the hallmarks of aging. Tad Friend, New Yorker, 4 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Coercive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coercive. Accessed 20 Aug. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!