coercive force

noun

: the opposing magnetic intensity that must be applied to a magnetized material to remove the residual magnetism

Examples of coercive force in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web To secure oil in the twentieth century, the United States relied on coercive force, destabilizing oil-producing regions and saddling itself with strategic, economic, and political burdens. Morgan D. Bazilian, Foreign Affairs, 6 Jan. 2023 These myths do nothing but protect the power of a fast-regrouping Christian civic machine looking to install a certain vision of Christian morality through coercive force. TIME, 5 Jan. 2024 But their promise of community masks a whole other layer of control — an organizing, siphoning, coercive force with its own private purposes. Carina Chocano, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2018 More broadly, libertarians fail to grapple with the reality that, for most individuals in an advanced society, the most coercive force in day-to-day life isn’t the state, but the boss. Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, 8 Feb. 2018 But by turning the state’s secret and coercive forces actively outward, the Bolsheviks invented something new under the sun for Russia. Olga Ingurazova, Smithsonian, 29 Sep. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coercive force.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of coercive force was in 1827

Dictionary Entries Near coercive force

Cite this Entry

“Coercive force.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coercive%20force. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!