compel

• POS: Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: com=pel

CIDE DICTIONARY

compel, v. t. [L. compellere, compulsum, to drive together, to compel, urge; com- + pellere to drive: cf. OF. compellir. See Pulse.].

•  To drive or urge with force, or irresistibly; to force; to constrain; to oblige; to necessitate, either by physical or moral force.  [1913 Webster]

  "Wolsey . . . compelled the people to pay up the whole subsidy at once."  [1913 Webster]

  "And they compel one Simon . . . to bear his cross."  [1913 Webster]
•  To take by force or violence; to seize; to exact; to extort.  [1913 Webster]

  "Commissions, which compel from each
  The sixth part of his substance."  [1913 Webster]
•  To force to yield; to overpower; to subjugate.  [1913 Webster]

  "Easy sleep their weary limbs compelled."  [1913 Webster]

  "I compel all creatures to my will."  [1913 Webster]
•  To gather or unite in a crowd or company.  Dryden.  [1913 Webster]
•  To call forth; to summon.  Chapman.  [1913 Webster]

  "She had this knight from far compelled."

Syn. -- To force; constrain; oblige; necessitate; coerce. See Coerce.

compel, v. i. 

 To make one yield or submit.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

compel, v.tr. (compelled, compelling)
1 (usu. foll. by to + infin.) force, constrain (compelled them to admit it).
2 bring about (an action) by force (compel submission).
3 (as compelling adj.) rousing strong interest, attention, conviction, or admiration.
4 archaic drive forcibly.

Derivative

compellable adj. compellingly adv.

Etymology

ME f. L compellere compuls- (as COM-, pellere drive)

THESAURUS

compel

actuate, animate, beat down, beset, bind, break, browbeat, bulldoze, bully, castrate, cause, cause to, clamp down on, coerce, concuss, constrain, cow, daunt, despotize, dictate, domineer, domineer over, drive, drive on, energize, enforce, enslave, force, forward, foster, galvanize, give an impetus, give momentum, goad, grind, grind down, grip, have, henpeck, hold, impel, incite, infatuate, insist upon, intimidate, keep down, keep under, lord it over, make, motivate, move, move to action, necessitate, not let go, oblige, obsess, oppress, overawe, overbear, overmaster, override, possess, power, preoccupy, press heavy on, promote, propel, put in motion, repress, restrain, ride over, ride roughshod over, set agoing, set going, set in motion, shotgun, spark, stimulate, subjugate, suppress, terrorize, thrust, tie, trample down, trample upon, tread down, tread upon, tyrannize, tyrannize over, unman, use force upon, walk all over, walk over, weigh heavy on, whip on

ROGET THESAURUS

compel

Necessity

VB lie under a necessity, befated, be doomed, be destined, in for, under the necessity of, have no choice, have no alternative, be one's fate, to be pushed to the wall to be driven into a corne, to be unable to help, destine, doom, foredoom, devote, predestine, preordain, cast a spell, necessitate, compel.

Compulsion

VB compel, force, make, drive, coerce, constrain, enforce, necessitate, oblige, force upon, press, cram down the throat, thrust down the throat, force down the throat, say it must be done, make a point of, insist upon, take no denial, put down, dragoon, extort, wring from, squeeze, put on the squeeze, put on the screws, turn on the screw, drag into, bind, bind over, pin down, tie down, require, tax, put in force, commandeer, restrain.

Power

VB be powerful, gain power, belong to, pertain to, lie in one's power, be in one's power, can, be able, give power, confer power, exercise power, empower, enable, invest, indue, endue, endow, arm, strengthen, compel.