compel
verb /kəmˈpel/
/kəmˈpel/
(formal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they compel | /kəmˈpel/ /kəmˈpel/ |
| he / she / it compels | /kəmˈpelz/ /kəmˈpelz/ |
| past simple compelled | /kəmˈpeld/ /kəmˈpeld/ |
| past participle compelled | /kəmˈpeld/ /kəmˈpeld/ |
| -ing form compelling | /kəmˈpelɪŋ/ /kəmˈpelɪŋ/ |
- to force somebody to do something; to make something necessary
- compel somebody to do something The law can compel fathers to make regular payments for their children.
- I feel compelled to write and tell you how much I enjoyed your book.
- The court has powers to compel witnesses to attend.
- compel something Last year ill health compelled his retirement.
- compel something (not used in the progressive tenses) to cause a particular reaction
- He spoke with an authority that compelled the attention of the whole crowd.
see also compulsion
Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin compellere, from com- ‘together’ + pellere ‘drive’.