compulsion

noun

kəm-ˈpəl-shən How to pronounce compulsion (audio)
Definition of compulsionnext
as in pressure
the use of power to impose one's will on another in that class I read books under compulsion that I ordinarily wouldn't have considered

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of compulsion The real question is whether Pennsylvania and cities like Pittsburgh want skill games and other gambling opportunities to be widespread and unavoidable for people who struggle with compulsions to gamble. — Jonathan Caulkins, The Conversation, 17 July 2026 Generalized anxiety may manifest itself in depression, compulsion or restlessness. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 2 July 2026 These obsessions lead you to do repetitive behaviors, also called compulsions. — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 29 June 2026 At a time like this, poetry must embrace a compulsion for awareness. — Literary Hub, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for compulsion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compulsion
  1. pressure
  2. constraint
  3. coercion
  4. intimidation
  5. violence
Noun
  • The Sun quincunxes Pluto, highlighting where careful effort meets control issues, hidden pressure, or shifting priorities.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The project uses horror and darkly comic genre elements to approach the psychological pressures of motherhood, extending Urban’s interest in personal experience as a route into broader social and political terrain.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of pressure
Noun
  • At coarser levels, CBS detects and matches SIFT features while using epipolar constraints to estimate horizontal and vertical disparities.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Huang said that if not for these constraints, revenue growth next year would be even greater.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of constraint
Noun
  • Iceland, which has a robust coast guard but no army or defense ministry of its own, finds itself in an interesting position in a world of great power coercion.
    — Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Mark Carney drew international attention as Canada’s prime minister by warning that middle powers must resist economic coercion by more powerful countries.
    — Rob Gillies, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of coercion
Noun
  • Jacobs was initially arrested on five criminal charges, including a felony count of strangulation and suffocation as well as battery, criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct and intimidation of a victim.
    — Steve Megargee, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Ann Arbor, where El-Sayed lives, is home to a branch of the Free Palestine movement that has engaged in violent intimidation of Jewish Democrats.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of intimidation
Noun
  • Writing poetry about violence is not the same as experiencing it.
    — Wallis Wilde-Menozzi, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Experts see the union as evidence that Syria might actually be putting the era of sectarian violence behind it.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of violence

Browse Nearby Words

comps
compulsion
compulsions
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Cite this Entry

“Compulsion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compulsion. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on compulsion

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about compulsion

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