Compulsion
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /kəmˈpʌl.ʃən/ · Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Compulsion is a noun meaning An irrational need or irresistible urge to perform some action, often despite negative consequences.
Meaning
An irrational need or irresistible urge to perform some action, often despite negative consequences.
More Meanings
- The use of authority, influence, or other power to force (compel) a person or persons to act.
- The lawful use of violence (i.e. by the administration).
Example Sentences
During the basketball game, I had a sudden compulsion to have a smoke.
From the opening of the City & South London Railway independent electric locomotives were used under compulsion of the Board of Trade.
But Treaty translator and Ottawa leader Andrew Blackbird described the Treaty as made “not with the free will of the Indians, but by compulsion.”
It is tempting to speculate about the incentives or compulsions that might explain why anyone would take to the skies in [the] basket [of a balloon]: perhaps out of a desire to escape the gravity of this world or to get a preview of the next; […].
Word Forms
- compulsions
Synonyms for compulsion
Depending on context, synonyms include coercion, obsession.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include obsession, coercion, force, forcible, duress, coercive.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.