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.
She was sentenced in federal court in Boston to four years in prison for charges of coercing people to engage in prostitution and money laundering conspiracy. Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2025 Experts say this is a potentially serious counterintelligence problem that could allow foreign intelligence services to gain insight into a target’s social network or even identify individuals who could be paid or coerced to act against them. Dhruv Mehrotra, Wired News, 27 Mar. 2025 It is now believed that Grimm was coerced to make a confession and plead guilty, and that evidence was withheld to support his plea, according to court records. Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2025 While the deal may have saved business for the firm, it was seen as a betrayal of the independence of law firms and a potential road map to coerce other firms to make concessions. arkansasonline.com, 24 Mar. 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 4 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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