gunpoint
n. uncountable B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɡənˌpɔɪnt// UK //ɡˈʌnpɔɪnt// gun·point
n. the situation where someone is being threatened with a gun. You usually hear this when a person is forced to do something while a weapon is pointed at them.
n. the state of being threatened by a firearm held in close proximity. Typically occurs within prepositional phrases to describe the conditions of a crime or forced action.
The thief robbed the store at gunpoint.
The witness described how the driver was forced out of the car at gunpoint in broad daylight.
Historians noted that the treaty was signed at gunpoint, rendering the subsequent territorial concessions legally and morally questionable in the eyes of the international community.
From gun + point.
Usage
Almost exclusively used in the prepositional phrase 'at gunpoint'.