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coerce

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coerce


  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Coerce  \Co*erce"\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Coerced};  p.  pr  &  vb 
  n.  {Coercing}.]  [L.  co["e]rcere;  co-  +  arcere  to  shut  up  to 
  press  together.  See  {Ark}.] 
  1.  To  restrain  by  force,  especially  by  law  or  authority;  to 
  repress;  to  curb.  --Burke. 
 
  Punishments  are  manifold,  that  they  may  coerce  this 
  profligate  sort.  --Ayliffe. 
 
  2.  To  compel  or  constrain  to  any  action  as  to  coerce  a  man 
  to  vote  for  a  certain  candidate. 
 
  3.  To  compel  or  enforce;  as  to  coerce  obedience. 
 
  Syn:  To  {Coerce},  {Compel}. 
 
  Usage:  To  compel  denotes  to  urge  on  by  force  which  cannot  be 
  resisted.  The  term  aplies  equally  to  physical  and 
  moral  force;  as  compelled  by  hunger;  compelled 
  adverse  circumstances;  compelled  by  parental 
  affection.  Coerce  had  at  first  only  the  negative  sense 
  of  checking  or  restraining  by  force;  as  to  coerce  a 
  bad  man  by  punishments  or  a  prisoner  with  fetters.  It 
  has  now  gained  a  positive  sense.,  viz.,  that  of 
  driving  a  person  into  the  performance  of  some  act 
  which  is  required  of  him  by  another;  as  to  coerce  a 
  man  to  sign  a  contract;  to  coerce  obedience.  In  this 
  sense  (which  is  now  the  prevailing  one),  coerce 
  differs  but  little  from  compel,  and  yet  there  is  a 
  distinction  between  them  Coercion  is  usually 
  acomplished  by  indirect  means  as  threats  and 
  intimidation,  physical  force  being  more  rarely 
  employed  in  coercing. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  coerce 
  v  :  to  cause  to  do  through  pressure  or  necessity,  by  physical, 
  moral  or  intellectual  means  :"She  forced  him  to  take  a 
  job  in  the  city"  [syn:  {pressure},  {force}] 




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