coercive
Coercive (adjective) means using force, threats or pressure to make someone do something against their will. Example: “The contract was signed under coercive pressure from the lender.”
How to use coercive
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMaking someone do something by frightening or pressuring them.
Formal and always negative; the related noun is coercion and the verb is coerce.
Coerce takes a person plus into: he was coerced into signing, not coerced to signing.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The contract was signed under _____ pressure from the lender.
Etymology
From Latin coercere meaning to restrain, from co- together and arcere to shut in.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for coercive
See all rhymes for coercive →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between coercive and persuasive?
Persuasion changes someone's mind by giving them reasons, and they remain free to say no. Coercion removes that freedom by attaching a threat or penalty to refusal. The test is whether the person could have declined without harm.
What is coercive control?
It is a pattern of behaviour used to dominate a partner or family member through isolation, surveillance, financial restriction, threats and humiliation, rather than through a single violent act. Several countries now treat it as a criminal offence in its own right.
Is coercive the same as abusive?
They overlap heavily but are not identical. Abuse covers a wide range of harm including physical violence, while coercive specifically describes pressure that overrides another person's choice.
What is the meaning of coercive?
"coercive" (adjective) means using force, threats or pressure to make someone do something against their will.