different between coerce vs compel

English

Etymology

From Latin coercere (“to surround, encompass, restrain, control, curb”), from co- (“together”) + arcere (“to inclose, confine, keep off”); see arcade, arcane, ark.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ko???s/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /k?????s/
• Rhymes: -??(?)s

Verb

coerce (third-person singular simple present coerces, present participle coercing, simple past and past participle coerced)

1. (transitive) To restrain by force, especially by law or authority; to repress; to curb.
2. (transitive) To use force, threat, fraud, or intimidation in an attempt to compel one to act against their will.

3. (transitive, computing) To force an attribute, normally of a data type, to take on the attribute of another data type.

Synonyms

• compel
• bully
• dragoon

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• coerce in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• coerce in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Latin

Verb

coerc?

1. second-person singular present active imperative of coerce?

English

Etymology

From Middle English compellen, borrowed from Middle French compellir, from Latin compellere, itself from com- (“together”) + pellere (“to drive”). Displaced native Middle English fordriven ("to drive out, to lead to, to compel, to force"), from Old English fordr?fan. More at fordrive.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k?m?p?l/
• Rhymes: -?l
• Hyphenation: com?pel

Verb

compel (third-person singular simple present compels, present participle compelling, simple past and past participle compelled)

1. (transitive, archaic, literally) To drive together, round up (Can we add an example for this sense?)
2. (transitive) To overpower; to subdue.
3. (transitive) To force, constrain or coerce.

   Logic compels the wise, while fools feel compelled by emotions.

   • 1600, William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, act 5, scene 1,

     Against my will, / As Pompey was, am I compell’d to set / Upon one battle all our liberties.

   • 1827, Henry Hallam, The Constitutional History of England

     Wolsey […] compelled the people to pay up the whole subsidy at once.

4. (transitive) To exact, extort, (make) produce by force.
5. (obsolete) To force to yield; to overpower; to subjugate.

   • Easy sleep their weary limbs compell'd.

   • ?, Alfred Tennyson, Geraint and Enid

     I compel all creatures to my will.

6. (obsolete) To gather or unite in a crowd or company.

   • in one troop compell'd

7. (obsolete) To call forth; to summon.

Derived terms

Related terms

• compulsion

Translations

References

• compel in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• “compel” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• Random House Webster’s Unabridged Electronic Dictionary, 1987-1996.