coercive

adjective

co·​er·​cive kō-ˈər-siv How to pronounce coercive (audio)
: serving or intended to coerce
coercive power
coercive measures
coercively adverb
coerciveness noun

Examples of coercive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
They were also intrinsically motivated to learn and less rigid or coercive with their beliefs. Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025 Among other topics ordered to be struck from the reports: Involuntary or coercive medical or psychological practices. Graham Smith, NPR, 18 Apr. 2025 Gray-zone warfare refer to coercive actions that deliberately stop short of direct conflict. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025 The modern fiscal state, with its taxation power, its legitimate coercive authority, and its sheer capacity, is arguably the only institution capable of countering the astonishing power of our billionaire robber baron oligarch class. Made By History, Time, 16 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for coercive

Word History

Etymology

coerce + -ive

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of coercive was circa 1600

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Cite this Entry

“Coercive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coercive. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

Legal Definition

coercive

adjective
co·​er·​cive kō-ˈər-siv How to pronounce coercive (audio)
1
: serving or intended to coerce
2
: resulting from coercion
to protect women from coercive intimacyKimberle Crenshaw

More from Merriam-Webster on coercive

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