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Force Very Common

Origin: Germanic Old English prefix

Force has 24 different meanings across 3 categories:

Noun · Verb · Proper Noun

Definitions
Noun
1

a powerful effect or influence

"the force of his eloquence easily persuaded them"

2

(physics) the influence that produces a change in a physical quantity

"force equals mass times acceleration"

3

physical energy or intensity

"he hit with all the force he could muster"

"it was destroyed by the strength of the gale"

"a government has not the vitality and forcefulness of a living man"

4

group of people willing to obey orders

"a public force is necessary to give security to the rights of citizens"

5

a unit that is part of some military service

"he sent Caesar a force of six thousand men"

6

an act of aggression (as one against a person who resists)

"he may accomplish by craft in the long run what he cannot do by force and violence in the short one"

7

one possessing or exercising power or influence or authority

"the mysterious presence of an evil power"

"may the force be with you"

"the forces of evil"

8

a group of people having the power of effective action

"he joined forces with a band of adventurers"

9

(of a law) having legal validity

"the law is still in effect"

10

a putout of a base runner who is required to run; the putout is accomplished by holding the ball while touching the base to which the runner must advance before the runner reaches that base

"the shortstop got the runner at second on a force"

11

Strength or energy of body or mind; active power; vigour; might; capacity of exercising an influence or producing an effect.

"The sheer force of the river crashed over the rocks, creating a mist that soaked everyone standing below."

12

A waterfall or cascade.

In plain English: Force is the push or pull that makes things move, stop, or change shape.

"The sudden gust of wind forced the door to slam shut."

Usage: Do not use "force" to mean a waterfall; that specific definition belongs to the word "cascade." Instead, reserve "force" as a noun for physical power, coercion, or a military unit.

Verb
1

to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means

"She forced him to take a job in the city"

"He squeezed her for information"

2

urge or force (a person) to an action; constrain or motivate

"The coach tried to force his star player into taking a shot, but the athlete refused until he felt ready."

3

move with force

"He pushed the table into a corner"

4

impose urgently, importunately, or inexorably

"She forced her diet fads on him"

5

squeeze like a wedge into a tight space

"I squeezed myself into the corner"

6

force into or from an action or state, either physically or metaphorically

"She rammed her mind into focus"

"He drives me mad"

7

do forcibly; exert force

"Don't force it!"

8

take by force

"Storm the fort"

9

To violate (a woman); to rape.

"The baker complained that the recipe called for too much sugar, which would only force the cake to be overly sweet and cloying."

10

To stuff; to lard; to farce.

In plain English: To force something means to make someone do it even though they don't want to.

"She carefully force-fed the baby a spoonful of pureed vegetables."

Usage: Use "force" to mean compelling someone to act against their will or making something happen with great effort. Do not use it to describe stuffing food or adding ingredients, which belongs to the obsolete term "farce."

Proper Noun
1

Falls. used in place names.

"My neighbor, Mr. Force, invited us all over for his famous apple pie yesterday."

2

A surname​.

Example Sentences
"The sudden gust of wind forced the door to slam shut." noun
"She carefully force-fed the baby a spoonful of pureed vegetables." verb
"Please do not force the door open if you want me to unlock it for you." verb
See Also
energy constrain forcibly army power wars star star wars
Related Terms
energy constrain forcibly army power wars star star wars pull gravity push strength wind use rob filibuster dielectrophoresis metric rape counterelectromotive
Antonyms
draw
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
influence physical phenomenon intensity organization unit aggression causal agent social group validity putout compel cause move thrust act penetrate
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
pressure duress heartbeat lifeblood wheel aerodynamic force affinity attraction repulsion centrifugal force centripetal force cohesion Coriolis force drift Lorentz force moment propulsion pull push reaction stress torsion magnetomotive force life force brunt momentum energy guerrilla force military service military paramilitary police security force military police work force patrol military personnel rank and file staff line personnel management personnel trip wire command enemy task force army unit naval unit air unit armor mujahidin guard legion echelon phalanx Republican Guard Haganah Israeli Defense Force militia commando contingent headquarters spearhead domestic violence road rage riot juggernaut influence Moloch turn up the heat drive bludgeon steamroller squeeze for dragoon terrorize bring oneself nudge press repel shove jerk jostle nose push out push aside muscle into push up thrust jam topple stick impact compress toe

Origin

The word "force" entered English from Old French, where it originally meant strength or power. Its roots trace back to the Latin word for "strong," which itself comes from an ancient Indo-European term meaning "to rise" or "high."

Rhyming Words
circe gorce perce parce marce terce farce merce darce scarce tierce amorce alerce amerce pierce source fierce coerce bierce adarce
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