FORCE


Meaning of FORCE in English

I. ˈfȯrs noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin * fortia, from Latin fortis strong

Date: 14th century

1.

a.

(1) : strength or energy exerted or brought to bear : cause of motion or change : active power

the force s of nature

the motivating force in her life

(2) capitalized — used with a number to indicate the strength of the wind according to the Beaufort scale

a Force 10 hurricane

b. : moral or mental strength

c. : capacity to persuade or convince

the force of the argument

2.

a. : military strength

b.

(1) : a body (as of troops or ships) assigned to a military purpose

(2) plural : the whole military strength (as of a nation)

c. : a body of persons or things available for a particular end

a labor force

the missile force

d. : an individual or group having the power of effective action

join force s to prevent violence

a force in politics

e. often capitalized : police force — usually used with the

3. : violence, compulsion, or constraint exerted upon or against a person or thing

4.

a. : an agency or influence that if applied to a free body results chiefly in an acceleration of the body and sometimes in elastic deformation and other effects

b. : any of the natural influences (as electromagnetism, gravity, the strong force, and the weak force) that exist especially between particles and determine the structure of the universe

5. : the quality of conveying impressions intensely in writing or speech

stated the objectives with force

Synonyms: see power

• force·less -ləs adjective

- in force

II. transitive verb

( forced ; forc·ing )

Date: 14th century

1. : to do violence to ; especially : rape

2. : to compel by physical, moral, or intellectual means

3. : to make or cause especially through natural or logical necessity

forced to admit my error

the last minute goal forced overtime

4.

a. : to press, drive, pass, or effect against resistance or inertia

force your way through

b. : to impose or thrust urgently, importunately, or inexorably

force unwanted attentions on a coworker

5. : to achieve or win by strength in struggle or violence: as

a. : to win one's way into

force a castle

forced the mountain passes

b. : to break open or through

force a lock

6.

a. : to raise or accelerate to the utmost

forcing the pace

b. : to produce only with unnatural or unwilling effort

forced a smile

c. : to wrench, strain, or use (language) with marked unnaturalness and lack of ease

7.

a. : to hasten the rate of progress or growth of

b. : to bring (as plants) to maturity out of the normal season

forcing lilies for Easter

8. : to induce (as a particular bid or play by another player) in a card game by some conventional act, play, bid, or response

9.

a. : to cause (a runner in baseball) to be put out on a force-out

b. : to cause (a run) to be scored in baseball by giving a base on balls when the bases are full

• forc·er noun

- force one's hand

Synonyms:

force , compel , coerce , constrain , oblige mean to make someone or something yield. force is the general term and implies the overcoming of resistance by the exertion of strength, power, or duress

forced to flee for their lives

compel typically suggests overcoming of resistance or unwillingness by an irresistible force

compelled to admit my mistake

coerce suggests overcoming resistance or unwillingness by actual or threatened violence or pressure

coerced into signing over the rights

constrain suggests the effect of a force or circumstance that limits freedom of action or choice

constrained by conscience

oblige implies the constraint of necessity, law, or duty

felt obliged to go

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.