Word
coercion
Phoneticsco·er·cion, stress on the second syllable
US/koʊˈɝʃən/
UK/kˌəʊˈɜːʃən/
Definitions
01force or threats
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Law Formal
n. the use of force or threats to make someone do something against their will.
n. the practice of compelling a person to behave in an involuntary way by use of threats or force. Uncountable in its general sense.
“The witness claimed she only signed the document under coercion from the police.”
“The defendant argued that his confession was obtained through psychological coercion rather than physical violence, rendering it inadmissible in court.”
Usage
Often used with the preposition 'under'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02programming
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Computing Technical
n. automatically changing a piece of data from one type to another, like turning a number into text.
n. the implicit conversion of a value from one data type to another by the compiler or interpreter.
“The language uses type coercion to add a number and a string together.”
“Unexpected results in the calculation were traced back to automatic type coercion, where the integer was silently converted to a floating-point number.”
Usage
Commonly referred to as 'type coercion'.
Synonyms
03linguistics
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Technical
n. when the meaning of a word changes slightly to fit the grammar of a sentence.
n. the process by which the semantic content of a lexical item is shifted to satisfy the requirements of a grammatical construction.
“In the phrase 'she enjoyed the book', coercion makes us understand she enjoyed reading it.”
“Aspectual coercion occurs when a stative verb is forced into a progressive construction, shifting its interpretation to a temporary activity.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“The Secretary-General stressed that “maritime chokepoints must never become instruments of coercion” and that the delivery of food, energy and essential goods must never be impeded.” “As well as pursuing legal action against Matthew, she has since become an outspoken voice against reproductive coercion, working alongside the Good Law Project.” Etymology
Inherited from Middle English cohercioun, from Old French cohercion, from Latin coërcitiō (“magisterial coercion”), from past participle coercitus of coërceō (“to restrain, coerce”), from co- (“with”) + arceō (“to shut in, enclose”); see coerce.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domains
- 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
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/coercion