| Coerce | v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Coerced p. pr. & vb. n. Coercing. ] [ L. coërcere; co- + arcere to shut up, to press together. See Ark. ] 1. To restrain by force, especially by law or authority; to repress; to curb. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ] Punishments are manifold, that they may coerce this profligate sort. Ayliffe. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. To compel or constrain to any action; as, to coerce a man to vote for a certain candidate. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. To compel or enforce; as, to coerce obedience. Syn. -- To Coerce, Compel. To compel denotes to urge on by force which cannot be resisted. The term aplies equally to physical and moral force; as, compelled by hunger; compelled adverse circumstances; compelled by parental affection. Coerce had at first only the negative sense of checking or restraining by force; as, to coerce a bad man by punishments or a prisoner with fetters. It has now gained a positive sense., viz., that of driving a person into the performance of some act which is required of him by another; as, to coerce a man to sign a contract; to coerce obedience. In this sense (which is now the prevailing one), coerce differs but little from compel, and yet there is a distinction between them. Coercion is usually acomplished by indirect means, as threats and intimidation, physical force being more rarely employed in coercing. [ 1913 Webster ] |
| Coercion | n. [ L. coercio, fr. coercere. See Coerce. ] 1. The act or process of coercing. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. (Law) The application to another of either physical or moral force. When the force is physical, and cannot be resisted, then the act produced by it is a nullity, so far as concerns the party coerced. When the force is moral, then the act, though voidable, is imputable to the party doing it, unless he be so paralyzed by terror as to act convulsively. At the same time coercion is not negatived by the fact of submission under force. “Coactus volui” (I consented under compulsion) is the condition of mind which, when there is volition forced by coercion, annuls the result of such coercion. Wharton. [ 1913 Webster ] |
| Coercive | a. Serving or intended to coerce; having power to constrain. -- Co*er"cive*ly, adv. -- Co*er"cive*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ] Coercive power can only influence us to outward practice. Bp. Warburton. [ 1913 Webster ]
Coercive force or
Coercitive force (Magnetism), the power or force which in iron or steel produces a slowness or difficulty in imparting magnetism to it, and also interposes an obstacle to the return of a bar to its natural state when active magnetism has ceased. It plainly depends on the molecular constitution of the metal. Nichol. [ 1913 Webster ]
The power of resisting magnetization or demagnization is sometimes called coercive force. S. Thompson. [ 1913 Webster ] |
