coercive
adjective
co·er·cive
kō-ˈər-siv 
: serving or intended to coerce
coercive power
coercive measures
coercively
adverb
coerciveness
noun
Examples of coercive in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Yet the military remains deeply unpopular, and coercive polls are unlikely to bring stability.
—
Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
The allegations involved coercive statements such as threats to take away benefits if workers formed a union, according to the union.
—Charlotte Observer, 10 Dec. 2025
Meaningful persuasion requires the suspension of some short-term interests for the sake of long-term interests, which is why coercive economic statecraft among allies is ill advised.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2025
The poem’s speaker is unnamed, one of the millions of Black Southerners who left the South for the North seeking an escape from Jim Crow, white supremacist terror, and coercive labor practices.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
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Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
The allegations involved coercive statements such as threats to take away benefits if workers formed a union, according to the union.
—Charlotte Observer, 10 Dec. 2025
Meaningful persuasion requires the suspension of some short-term interests for the sake of long-term interests, which is why coercive economic statecraft among allies is ill advised.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2025
The poem’s speaker is unnamed, one of the millions of Black Southerners who left the South for the North seeking an escape from Jim Crow, white supremacist terror, and coercive labor practices.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coercive
Cite this Entry
“Coercive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coercive. Accessed 19 Dec. 2025.
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coercive
adjective
co·er·cive
kō-ˈər-siv
1
: serving or intended to coerce
2
: resulting from coercion
to protect women from coercive intimacy—Kimberle Crenshaw
Kimberle CrenshawLove words? Need even more definitions?
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