coerce

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“
The state power to coerce is not liberty.

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Definitions (8)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. transitive verb To force to act or think in a certain way by use of pressure, threats, or intimidation; compel.
  2. transitive verb To dominate, restrain, or control forcibly: coerced the strikers into compliance. See Synonyms at force.
  3. transitive verb To bring about by force or threat: efforts to coerce agreement.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (3)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (1)

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Examples (50)

  • Terrorists go to work figuring out how to counterfeit congressional ID and con / coerce / disguise themselves as little old ladies. —  BlueOregon
  • Torture is often defined as the infliction of intense pain to punish, coerce, or afford sadistic pleasure. —  Village Voice - The most recent 10 stories
  • "Is the fatted liver of waterfowl the infliction of intense pain to punish, coerce or to afford sadistic pleasure?" —  Village Voice - The most recent 10 stories
  • Equally, states often go to extreme lengths to coerce or cajole the news media into toeing the line —  Ethical Martini
  • : Will the FDIC, I don't want to use the word 'coerce', but use this to nudge the bank along to sell the assets? —  Dealbreaker
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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Used in the same contextWord Family

coerce:   coerced ·  coerces
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Latin coercēre, to control, restrain : co-, co- + arcēre, to enclose, confine.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. = Old French coercer, cohercer = Spanish coercer, from Latin coercere, surround, encompass, restrain, control, curb, from co-, together, + arcere, inclose, confine, keep off: see arcade, arcane, ark.
 

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/kəˈərs/
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