coerce

verb

co·​erce kō-ˈərs How to pronounce coerce (audio)
coerced; coercing

transitive verb

1
: to compel to an act or choice
was coerced into agreeing
abusers who coerce their victims into silence
2
: to achieve by force or threat
coerce compliance
coerce obedience
3
: to restrain or dominate by force
religion in the past has tried to coerce the irreligiousW. R. Inge
coercible adjective
Choose the Right Synonym for coerce

force, compel, coerce, constrain, oblige mean to make someone or something yield.

force is the general term and implies the overcoming of resistance by the exertion of strength, power, or duress.

forced to flee for their lives

compel typically suggests overcoming of resistance or unwillingness by an irresistible force.

compelled to admit my mistake

coerce suggests overcoming resistance or unwillingness by actual or threatened violence or pressure.

coerced into signing over the rights

constrain suggests the effect of a force or circumstance that limits freedom of action or choice.

constrained by conscience

oblige implies the constraint of necessity, law, or duty.

felt obliged to go

Examples of coerce in a Sentence

A confession was coerced from the suspect by police. was coerced into signing the document
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.
The administration is threatening to withhold federal money from universities as a way to coerce many of them to comply with administration policies in ways that implicate free speech and in some instances violate legal processes for the withholding of federal support. Daniel Hall, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2025 Its alliances were coerced, its innovations lagged behind, and its industrial system collapsed under its own contradictions. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025 But a divided panel of appeals court judges said the parents hadn’t shown that they or their children had been coerced to believe or act contrary to their religious views. Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 21 Apr. 2025 But some lawsuits targeting the GEC for alleged censorship failed to succeed, with a federal appeals court ruling that there was no evidence that its officials coerced or influenced social media platforms to moderate content on their sites. Laura Kelly, The Hill, 16 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for coerce

Word History

Etymology

Middle English coarcen, coercen, borrowed from Anglo-French *cohercer, borrowed (with conjugation change) from Latin coercēre "to confine, shut up, restrict, restrain," from co- co- + arcēre "to hold in, prevent from approaching, keep away" — more at ark

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of coerce was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Coerce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coerce. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

coerce

verb
co·​erce kō-ˈərs How to pronounce coerce (audio)
coerced; coercing
: to cause someone to do something by force or threat
coercion
-ˈər-zhən
-shən
noun
coercive
-ˈər-siv
adjective

Legal Definition

coerce

transitive verb
co·​erce kō-ˈərs How to pronounce coerce (audio)
coerced; coercing
: to subject (a person) to coercion compare importune, solicit

More from Merriam-Webster on coerce

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