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Forcible
Definitions
- 1 Done by force, forced.
"I fled; but he pursued (though more, it seems, / Inflamed with lust than rage), and, swifter far, / Me overtook, his mother, all dismayed, / And, in embraces forcible and foul / Engendering with me, of that rape begot / These yelling monsters, that with ceaseless cry / Surround me, as thou saw'st—"
- 2 Having (physical) force, forceful. obsolete, rare
"[…] he drew her to him, laid a forcible detaining arm about her waist, and misapprehended her frantic revolt for an exhibition of maidenly reluctance."
- 3 Having a powerful effect; forceful, telling, strong, convincing, effective.
"But that which hath been once most sufficient, may wax otherwise by alteration of time and place; that punishment which hath been sometimes forcible to bridle sin, may grow afterwards too weak and feebled."
- 4 Able to be forced.
"[…] it seems that an entry is not forcible by the bare drawing up a latch, or pulling back the bolt of a door, there being no appearance therein of its being done by strong hand, or multitude of people; […]"
- 1 impelled by physical force especially against resistance wordnet
Etymology
From Middle English forcible, forsable, from Old French forcible, from forcier (“to conquer by force”), equivalent to force + -ible.
See also for "forcible"
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Unscramble this word: forcible