Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Latin
Origin: compellere, from com- ( COM-) + pellere 'to drive'

compel

 verb
     
com‧pel past tense and past participle compelled, present participle compelling [transitive]
1 to force someone to do something [↪ compulsion]
compel somebody to do something
The law will compel employers to provide health insurance.
She felt compelled to resign because of the scandal.
2 formal to make people have a particular feeling or attitude [↪ compulsion]:
His performance compelled the audience's attention.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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