Word
coerce
Phoneticsco·erce, stress on the second syllable
US/koʊˈɝs/
UK/kˌəʊˈɜːs/
Definitions
01to force someone
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to make someone do something by using force or threats.
v. to compel an individual to act against their will through the use of force, threats, or intimidation.
“The witness claimed that the gang tried to coerce him into lying to the police.”
“The defendant argued that he had been coerced into signing the confession under extreme psychological pressure from the investigators.”
02to restrain
C2 · Proficiency Law Formal · Technical
v. to use the law or authority to stop someone from doing something.
v. to restrain or repress an action or person through the application of authority or legal force.
“The new laws were designed to coerce the illegal trade of stolen goods.”
“The state sought to coerce the rising tide of dissent by implementing strict curfews and heavy fines for public gatherings.”
03to change data types
C1 · Advanced Computing Technical
v. to force a piece of computer data to change into a different type.
v. to force a value of one data type to be treated as or converted to another data type.
“The program will coerce the number into a string so it can be displayed.”
“JavaScript will often coerce a boolean value into a number when performing arithmetic operations.”
Real-World Examples
“They’re coerced by their mother into performing religious music in the 90s, while wearing clothes that look as if they’re from the 1920s.” “In the second case, a court heard how Dean Holmes, 43, had coerced a woman to open an OnlyFans account to make money.” Etymology
From Latin coërceō (“to surround, encompass, restrain, control, curb”), from co- (“together”) + arceō (“to inclose, confine, keep off”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/coerce