1
: compelled by force or necessity : involuntary
a forced landing
2
: done or produced with effort, exertion, or pressure
a forced laugh
forcedly adverb

Examples of forced in a Sentence

forced payment of membership dues wasn't thrilled with the suggestion and so responded with a forced smile
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.
What happens next is critical, especially as Sweden is now reportedly threatening its own forced breach of end-to-end encryption. Zak Doffman, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025 Defending rights and progress aroused attendees at that January meeting in 2025 as strongly as denouncing forced colonization aroused attendees at the mass meeting 208 years earlier. Linn Washington, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2025 Stella Marcus, as the Tate daughter Emma, who’s maybe smart enough to escape her family but is even more self-destructive, strives to match the energy of the bigger names around her but gets stuck in a similar rut of forced aggression. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 25 Feb. 2025 Now that the divorce is done, here’s hoping Stacey finds a connection that doesn’t feel so forced. Shelby Stewart, Essence, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for forced

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1537, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of forced was circa 1537

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Forced.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forced. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

forced

adjective
ˈfō(ə)rst How to pronounce forced (audio)
ˈfȯ(ə)rst
1
: caused or brought about by force or necessity : involuntary
made a forced landing
2
: done or produced with effort
a forced laugh

More from Merriam-Webster on forced

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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