Compulsion
noun ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 An irrational need or irresistible urge to perform some action, often despite negative consequences. countable, uncountable
"During the basketball game, I had a sudden compulsion to have a smoke."
- 2 using force to cause something to occur wordnet
- 3 The use of authority, influence, or other power to force (compel) a person or persons to act. countable, uncountable
"From the opening of the City & South London Railway independent electric locomotives were used under compulsion of the Board of Trade."
- 4 an urge to do or say something that might be better left undone or unsaid wordnet
- 5 The lawful use of violence (i.e. by the administration). countable, uncountable
Show 1 more definition
- 6 an irrational motive for performing trivial or repetitive actions, even against your will wordnet
Example
More examples"In truth, a man who renders everyone their due because he fears the gallows, acts under the sway and compulsion of others, and cannot be called just. But a man who does the same from a knowledge of the true reason for laws and their necessity, acts from a firm purpose and of his own accord, and is therefore properly called just."
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French compulsion, from Late Latin compulsiō, from Latin compellere (“to compel, coerce”); see compel.
Related phrases
More for "compulsion"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.