Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Related Searches
on Ask.com
Synonyms
Nearby Entries
coercion - 5 dictionary results

co⋅er⋅cion

  [koh-ur-shuhn]
Use coercion in a Sentence
–noun
1. the act of coercing; use of force or intimidation to obtain compliance.
2. force or the power to use force in gaining compliance, as by a government or police force.
Origin:
1515–25; < ML coerciōn- (s. of coerciō), L coerctiōn-, syncopated var. of coercitiōn-, equiv. to coercit(us) (ptp. of coercēre to coerce ) + -iōn- -ion; r. late ME cohercion < MF < L as above

Related forms:
co⋅er⋅cion⋅ar⋅y, adjective
co⋅er⋅cion⋅ist, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To coercion
co·er·cion   (kō-ûr'zhən, -shən)   
n.  
  1. The act or practice of coercing.
  2. Power or ability to coerce.
co·er'cion·ar'y (-zhə-něr'ē, -shə-) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Coercion

Co*er"cion\, n. [L. coercio, fr. coercere. See Coerce.]

1. The act or process of coercing.

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.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Cite This Source

Main Entry: co·er·cion
Pronunciation: kO-'&r-zh&n, -sh&n
Function: noun
: the use of express or implied threats of violence or reprisal (as discharge from employment) or other intimidating behavior that puts a person in immediate fear of the consequences in order to compel that person to act against his or her will; also : the defense that one acted under coercion —see also DEFENSE, DURESS —compare UNDUE INFLUENCE
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source

coercion
implicit type conversion

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
Cite This Source
Search another word or see coercion on Thesaurus | Reference
>