Compel vs. Force

Compel vs. Force — Is There a Difference?
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Difference Between Compel and Force

Compelverb

To drive together, round up en

Forcenoun

Strength or energy of body or mind; active power; vigour; might; capacity of exercising an influence or producing an effect.

the force of an appeal, an argument, or a contract

Compelverb

(transitive) To overpower; to subdue.

Forcenoun

Power exerted against will or consent; compulsory power; violence; coercion.

Compelverb

(transitive) To force, constrain or coerce.

Logic compels the wise, while fools feel compelled by emotions.

Forcenoun

(countable) Anything that is able to make a big change in a person or thing.

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Compelverb

(transitive) To exact, extort, (make) produce by force.

Forcenoun

A physical quantity that denotes ability to push, pull, twist or accelerate a body and which has a direction and is measured in a unit dimensioned in mass × distance/time² (ML/T²): SI: newton (N); CGS: dyne (dyn)

Compelverb

(obsolete) To force to yield; to overpower; to subjugate.

Forcenoun

Something or anything that has the power to produce a physical effect upon something else, such as causing it to move or change shape.

Compelverb

(obsolete) To gather or unite in a crowd or company.

Forcenoun

(countable) A group that aims to attack, control, or constrain.

police force
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Compelverb

(obsolete) To call forth; to summon.

Forcenoun

(uncountable) The ability to attack, control, or constrain.

show of force

Compelverb

force or compel somebody to do something;

We compel all students to fill out this form

Forcenoun

(countable) A magic trick in which the outcome is known to the magician beforehand, especially one involving the apparent free choice of a card by another person.

Compelverb

make someone do something

Forcenoun

(legal) Legal validity.

The law will come into force in January.

Forcenoun

(legal) Either unlawful violence, as in a "forced entry", or lawful compulsion.

Forcenoun

Ability of an utterance or its element (word, form, prosody, ...) to effect a given meaning.

Forcenoun

(science fiction) A binding, metaphysical, and ubiquitous power in the fictional Star Wars universe created by George Lucas.

Forcenoun

A waterfall or cascade.

Forceverb

(transitive) To violate (a woman); to rape.

Forceverb

To exert oneself, to do one's utmost.

Forceverb

(transitive) To compel (someone or something) to do something.

Forceverb

(transitive) To constrain by force; to overcome the limitations or resistance of.

Forceverb

(transitive) To drive (something) by force, to propel (generally + prepositional phrase or adverb).

Forceverb

(transitive) To cause to occur (despite inertia, resistance etc.); to produce through force.

The comedian's jokes weren't funny, but I forced a laugh now and then.

Forceverb

(transitive) To forcibly open (a door, lock etc.).

To force a lock.

Forceverb

To obtain or win by strength; to take by violence or struggle; specifically, to capture by assault; to storm, as a fortress.

Forceverb

To create an out by touching a base in advance of a runner who has no base to return to while in possession of a ball which has already touched the ground.

Jones forced the runner at second by stepping on the bag.

Forceverb

(whist) To compel (an adversary or partner) to trump a trick by leading a suit that he/she does not hold.

Forceverb

(archaic) To put in force; to cause to be executed; to make binding; to enforce.

Forceverb

(archaic) To provide with forces; to reinforce; to strengthen by soldiers; to man; to garrison.

Forceverb

(obsolete) To allow the force of; to value; to care for.

Forceverb

To stuff; to lard; to farce.

Forcenoun

a unit that is part of some military service;

he sent Caesar a force of six thousand men

Forcenoun

one possessing or exercising power or influence or authority;

the mysterious presence of an evil powermay the force be with youthe forces of evil

Forcenoun

(physics) the influence that produces a change in a physical quantity;

force equals mass times acceleration

Forcenoun

group of people willing to obey orders;

a public force is necessary to give security to the rights of citizens

Forcenoun

a powerful effect or influence;

the force of his eloquence easily persuaded them

Forcenoun

an act of aggression (as one against a person who resists);

he may accomplish by craft in the long run what he cannot do by force and violence in the short one

Forcenoun

physical energy or intensity;

he hit with all the force he could musterit was destroyed by the strength of the galea government has not the vitality and forcefulness of a living man

Forcenoun

a group of people having the power of effective action;

he joined forces with a band of adventurers

Forcenoun

(of a law) having legal validity;

the law is still in effect

Forceverb

to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means :

She forced him to take a job in the cityHe squeezed her for information

Forceverb

urge or force (a person) to an action; constrain or motivate

Forceverb

move with force,

He pushed the table into a corner

Forceverb

impose or thrust urgently, importunately, or inexorably;

She forced her diet fads on him

Forceverb

squeeze like a wedge into a tight space;

I squeezed myself into the corner

Forceverb

force into or from an action or state, either physically or metaphorically;

She rammed her mind into focusHe drives me mad

Forceverb

do forcibly; exert force;

Don't force it!

Forceverb

cause to move along the ground by pulling;

draw a wagonpull a sled

Forceverb

take by force;

Storm the fort