force ‧ ful /ˈfɔːsf ə l $ ˈfɔːrs-/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: adjective : ↑ forceful , ↑ forcible , ↑ forced ; noun : ↑ force , ↑ forcefulness ; adverb : ↑ forcefully , ↑ forcibly ; verb : ↑ force ]
1 . a forceful person expresses their opinions very strongly and clearly and people are easily persuaded by them SYN strong
a forceful personality/character/opponent etc
He gained a reputation as a forceful member of the party.
2 . forceful arguments, reasons etc are strongly and clearly expressed SYN powerful :
a forceful attack on government policy
3 . having a powerful effect that is likely to change a situation:
The President hasn’t been forceful enough in changing the judicial system.
Governments should adopt a more forceful approach to improve the environment.
4 . using physical force
—forcefully adverb
—forcefulness noun [uncountable]