# coercion

/koʊˈɝʃən/ (US) · /kˌəʊˈɜːʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/coercion
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. force or threats

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the use of force or threats to make someone do something against their will.

For teachers: 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'.

### 2. programming

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

automatically changing a piece of data from one type to another, like turning a number into text.

For teachers: 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'.

### 3. linguistics

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

when the meaning of a word changes slightly to fit the grammar of a sentence.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- He only signed the document under coercion.
- The witness claimed that her initial statement was the result of police coercion rather than a voluntary confession.
- Legal scholars distinguish between legitimate persuasion and unlawful coercion, noting that the latter must involve a credible threat that overcomes the victim's free will.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.