Coerce Meaning
/kəʊˈɜːs/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
verbTo restrain by force, especially by law or authority; to repress; to curb.
verbTo use force, threat, fraud, or intimidation in an attempt to compel one to act against their will.
Sentence Examples
I can try to persuade her to go, but I can't coerce her.
He said laws should not coerce but protect public health while protecting human rights.
America uses its economic heft to coerce rivals and allies.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The manager tried to ____ the employee into signing the unfair contract.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
It is wrong to try to ____ someone into doing something bad.
Word Origin & History
From Latin coërceō (“to surround, encompass, restrain, control, curb”), from co- (“together”) + arceō (“to inclose, confine, keep off”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"A woman who freely engages in any of these activities, or who rejects anti-porn dogma, is thought to be coerced, brainwashed, an apologist of the patriarchy or a "social man." A woman who agrees that she has been coerced into one of these activities will be honored by anti-porners. The opinions of the rest of us are routinely discounted."
— 1984 December 22, Gayle Rubin, “Censored: Anti-Porn Laws And Women's Liberation”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 23, page 8:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The manager tried to ____ the employee into signing the unfair contract.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
It is wrong to try to ____ someone into doing something bad.