Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1400-1500
Language: Latin
Origin: coercere, from co- ( CO-) + arcere 'to enclose'

coerce

 verb
     
co‧erce [transitive]
to force someone to do something they do not want to do by threatening them
coerce somebody into (doing) something
The rebels coerced the villagers into hiding them from the army.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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