Compel

Definition: Compel

Compel

Verb

1. Force or compel somebody to do something; "We compel all students to fill out this form".

2. Make someone do something.

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "compel" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1258. (references)

Computing

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Synonyms: Compel

Compulsion

Verb: compel, force, make, drive, coerce, constrain, enforce, necessitate, oblige.

Necessity

Destine, doom, foredoom, devote; predestine, preordain; cast a spell; necessitate; compel.

Compulsory; (compel); uncontrollable, inevitable, unavoidable, irresistible, irrevocable, inexorable; avoidless, resistless.

Power

Give power, confer power, exercise power; Noun: empower, enable, invest; indue, endue; endow, arm; strengthen; compel.

Restraint

Verb: restrain, check; put under restraint, lay under restraint; enthral, enthrall, inthral, inthrall, bethral, bethrall; restrict; debar; (hinder); constrain; coerce; (compel); curb, control; hold back, hold from, hold in, hold in check, hold within bounds, keep back, keep from, keep in, keep in check, keep within bounds; hold in leash, hold in leading strings; withhold.

Crosswords: Compel

Besides being made from an indestructible material, it also carries with it the power to compel people to tell the truth. (The New Original Wonder Woman; writing credit: William M. Marston; Stanley Ralph Ross)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

References

• Compel Group Plc: International Competitive Benchmarks and Financial Gap Analysis (reference)

  (more reference examples)

Books

• COMPEL GROUP PLC: International Competitive Benchmarks and Financial Gap Analysis (Financial Performance Series) (reference)

• COMPEL GROUP PLC: Labor Productivity Benchmarks and International Gap Analysis (Labor Productivity Series) (reference)

• Investigate Everything': Federal Efforts to Compel Black Loyalty During World War I (reference)

• Meeting, to consider issuance of a subpoena to the Secretary of Energy to compel production of documents related to the development of the Administration's national energy strategy : meeting before the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight of the C (reference)

• Moving to Compel Discovery & Other Discovery Motions Pts. 1 & 2: Winter 1993, Action Guide (reference)

  (more book examples)

Periodicals

• Compel (reference)

  (more periodical examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

No constable shall compel any knight to give money in lieu of castle-guard, when he is willing to perform it in his own person, or (if he himself cannot do it from any reasonable cause) then by another responsible man. (reference)

Clause 1: Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business; but a smaller Number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the Attendance of absent Members, in such Manner, and under such Penalties as each House may provide. (reference)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

That night, upon reflection, he regretted that he had not questioned the man so as to compel him to raise his head a second time.

Nothing can rightly compel a simple and brave man to a vulgar sadness.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

He was not eligible for the clinical trial and asked if FDA could please get the drug for him or make the company give it to him. After explaining that FDA cannot compel a company to supply a product, an FDA staff member, trained to work with cancer patients, spent many hours on the phone with this patient over the course of a week, explaining sources of information regarding kidney cancer clinical trials and helping him to understand options he might pursue in lieu of the trial he was not eligible to enter under the company's protocol. (references)

Business

It is estimated that about 30 percent of new car model ranges now have deadlocks fitted as standard but EU legislation would be required to compel manufacturers to fit them. There is a similar story in the application of laminated glazing. (references)

New EU directives will compel the automobile companies to increase the proportion of recyclable materials used in their manufacture � 80 percent of vehicle weight in 2006 rising to 85 percent in 2015. However, even greater concerns exist over proposals obliging the car producers, also from 2006, to take back vehicles at the end of their lives at no or little cost, to the owner. (references)

Civil Liberties

South Africa

The Criminal Procedure Act may be used to compel reporters to reveal their sources. (references)

South Africa

In June 1999, SANEF launched a media campaign to compel changes to legislation that restricts the free flow of information. (references)

United Kingdom

Paramilitary organizations in Northern Ireland continued to threaten individuals and families to compel them to leave the province. (references)

Economic History

Eq. Guinea

There have been instances when the Government has retaliated against political opponents by seeking to compel their employers to release them. (references)

Kenya

However, during the 1980's, the government used its authority on occasion to compel foreigners to sell a portion of profitable companies to political insiders. (references)

Bolivia

Continuing buyouts of local banks by foreign interests in the coming year are expected to compel all banks to refine this basic ability in the shortest possible period. (references)

Human Rights

Venezuela

Charges have been filed in only one case, and the Government has been unable to compel the cooperation of the DISIP. (references)

Uruguay

There is no legal provision against self-incrimination, and judges may compel defendants to answer any question they pose. (references)

Armenia

Unlike in the previous year, there were no reports that armed forces recruiters detained persons to compel the surrender of relatives who evaded the draft or deserted. (references)

Political Economy

MOROCCO

The courts have the authority to reinstate such workers, but are unable to enforce rulings that compel employers to pay damages and back pay. (references)

UNITED KINGDOM

In 2001, the UK agreed to an EU directive that will compel employers to consult their workforces on issues such as layoffs and plant closures. (references)

GHANA

Observance of minimum age laws is eroded by local custom and economic circumstances that compel children to become wage earners at an early age. (references)

Political Rights

Zambia

Citizens, mobilized by civil society organizations, also mounted sufficient political pressure to compel the Government to abandon its efforts. (references)

Russia

The Constitutional Court was expected to rule on Voting Rights Act provisions that pertain to holding referendums, which may compel lawmakers to reconsider the law. (references)

Worker Rights

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Protest is often the only way to compel the payment of salaries or wages. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Expressions using "compel": compel smb. to do ♦ compel smb. to do smth.. Additional references.

Afrikaans

verplig (force), dwing (force). (various references)

Albanian

detyroj (bind, bully, coerce, constrain, dragoon, enforce, entail, force, have, haze, impel, keep, make, move, obligate, oblige, outface, pin down, press, push, rack, screw, strong arm, tie). (various references)

Arabic 

‏فرض بالقوة (enforce), ‏كره (abhor, abominate, aversion, be offensive, be repugnant, be repulsive, become hateful, coerce, constrain, despise, detest, disfavor, disfavour, disincline, dislike, drive, force, hate, hating, loathe, swagger), ‏خضع (bend, bow, conquer, hew, knuckle under, kowtow, reclaim, reduce, steady, subdue, subject, subjugate, submit, subordinate, succumb, throw in one's hand, undergo, wash, yield), ‏إضطر (be coerced, be compelled, be constrained, be forced, be obliged, coerce, force, have, have to, impel, obligate, oblige), ‏أجبر (bring, coerce, constrain, drive, force, impress, make, oblige, overstrain, pressure, reduce, reset). (various references)

Bulgarian 

насилвам (browbeat, coerce, force, push, sandbag), заставям (cause, coerce, get, will), принуждавам (coerce, constrain, drive, force, make, necessitate, oblige, overpersuade, pressure, pressurize, reduce, sandbag), подкарвам (begin, drive, herd on, punch, spur on, start, urge forward, whip up). (various references)

Chinese 

逼迫 (coerce, force), 逼 (close, close in on, drive, extort, force, press for, press on towards, press up to), 脅迫 (coerce), 偪 (close to), 彊 (strong, superior, willful), 强迫 (Compelled, Compelling, Compulsion, forcible, forcibly, Forcing, Obtrude, Obtruded, Obtruding), 強迫 (force). (various references)

Czech

vynutit si (necessitate), přinutit (coerce, constrain, extrude, force, make, reduce, will, work), donutit (coerce). (various references)

Danish

tvinge (force). (various references)

Dutch

verplichten (force), noodzaken (force), dwingen (force). (various references)

Esperanto

devigi (force). (various references)

Farsi 

مجبورکردن (Bludgeon, Enforce, Necessitate, Oblige), وادارکردن (Enforce, Have, Impel, Induce, Instigate, Oblige, Persuade). (various references)

Finnish

pakottaa (ache, beat, bring, constrain, emboss, force, make). (various references)

French

contraindre (coerce, constrain), obliger � , obliger (commit, constrain), imposer (commit), forcer qn � obéir, forcer (coerce, constrain), faire obliger, assujettir. (various references)

Frisian

ferplichtsje (force). (various references)

German

zwingen (bludgeon, coerce, constrain, drive, force, forcing, impel, make, oblige, to bludgeon, to coerce, to compel, to constrain, to force, to oblige, torture), nötigen (coerce, force, impel, press, to coerce, to compel, to oblige, urge). (various references)

Greek 

καταναγκάζω, βιάζω (force, rape, ravish, strain, violate), υποχρεώνω (bind, obligate, oblige), εξωθώ (abet, expel, extrude, impel, instigate, protrude), αναγκάζω (bludgeon, coerce, constrain, impel, necessitate, obligate). (various references)

Hawaiian

detyroj (force). (various references)

Hebrew 

לחיב (bind, charge an account, commit, debit, enjoin, necessitate, obligate, oblige), לאלץ (constrain, force), לאכף (enforce, force, saddle), לא� וס (force), לכפות (coerce, dragoon, enforce, force, obsess, pinion), לכפוף (bend, bow down, curve, incline, stoop, subject), ל�"כריח (constrain, dragoon, force, obligate, oblige), ל�"�"חיק (force, repress). (various references)

Hungarian

késztet (force his hand, incline, led, made, to flush, to incline, to lead, to make, to motivate), kényszerít (coerce, constrain, dragoon, force, oblige, to apply the screws, to coerce, to compel, to concuss, to constrain, to cow, to fag, to force sy into doing sg, to hijack, to necessitate, to oblige, to put the screws on, to will, to will sy into doing sg). (various references)

Icelandic

neyða (force), þvinga (force). (various references)

Indonesian

memaksakan (assert, force), forsir (force). (various references)

Italian

forzare (constrain, force, force oneself, strain, stress, stretch), costringere (cause, coerce, constrain, enforce, force, impose, make, pin down, press gang, push, will). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

強いる (to coerce, to compel, to force). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

しいる (to accuse falsely, to coerce, to compel, to force, to slander). (various references)

Korean 

강박하십시�". (various references)

Malay

paksa ... memaksa (force). (various references)

Manx

eignaghey (constrain, oblige), cur er (affectation, affectedness, apply, ascribe, devolve, don, impose, imposition, induce, inflict, lead, oblige, on occasion, persuade, turn on). (various references)

Norwegian

tvinge (force). (various references)

Papiamen

obligá (force), forsa (force, strength, vigour), fòrsa (force). (various references)

Pig Latin

ompelcay

Polish

zmusić. (various references)

Portuguese

obrigar (constrain, determine, enforce, force, have, impose, obligate, oblige, obliging, put), forçar (bayonet, coerce, enforce, force, obligate, oblige, overbear, press, push, put under the screw, send, stretch, tax), constranger (astrict, concuss, constrain, force, oblige, put, urge). (various references)

Romanian

sili (bind, coerce, constrain, endeavor, endeavour, force, huff, necessitate, oblige, push on, squeeze, try, urge), forţa (break, constrain, endeavor, endeavour, force, huff, impose, open, ravish, stretch, urge, violate). (various references)

Russian 

заставлять (cause, coerce, force, get, induce, lead, make, oblige, screw, will). (various references)

Scottish

thoir (bring, fetch, get, give, lay hold of, persuade, pick up, take, take : thoir air). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

prisiliti (force, impel). (various references)

Spanish

obligar (bind, coerce, constrain, draft, draught, enforce, force, obligate, oblige, push, sandbag, tie down, trust), forzar (break in, break into, coerce, draft, draught, drive, force, hot up, oblige, pick, run, sally, strain, stretch, twist). (various references)

Sranan

dwengi (force). (various references)

Swedish

tvinga (bulldoze, coerce, constrain, dragoon, drive, enforce, force, hustle, impel, impose, oblige). (various references)

Turkish

zorunda bırakmak (obligate, oblige, reduce), zorlamak (be urgent with smb., bludgeon, bully, clamor down, clamour down, coerce, constrain, cow smb. into, cozen, do violence to, drag in, drive, edge on, enforce, exact, force, impel, impose, impress, lean upon, obligate, outrage, press, press-gang smb. into doing smth., pressure, push, push smb. for, railroad, railroad into doing, stampede, strain, stretch, subdue, sweat, twist smb.'s arm, urge, worry, wrest), mecbur etmek (coerce, constrain, cow smb. into, force, obligate, oblige, pin, pin down, railroad, railroad into doing, reduce, subject). (various references)

Turkmen 

zorlamak (force), puюman getermek. (various references)

Ukrainian

підпорядкувати, примушувати (bring, cause, coerce, concuss, constrain, enforce, force, oblige, squeeze, urge, will), добитися (elicit, succeed, win). (various references)

Welsh

gorfodi (oblige). (various references)

angariaverit, angariaverunt, coacto, coercere, cogo, compellere, compello, subacta, subigens, subigo, urgere. (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Derivations

Words beginning with "compel": compellable, compellation, compellations, compelled, compelling, compellingly, compels. (additional references)

Words containing "compel": uncompelling. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Compel" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Ciampoli, cimple, comble, compe, comped, compell, compen, comper, compet, compi, compil, compl, compla, comple, compled, complt, compu, compul, comtel, Contel, Coppel, coupel, Coypel, Cupel, Kimpel, Koppel. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-1 letter: celom, clomp.

-2 letters: clop, cole, come, comp, cope, lope, mole, mope, poem, pole, pome.

-3 letters: cel, cep, col, cop, elm, lop, mel, moc, mol, mop, ole, ope, pec, pol, pom.

-4 letters: el, em, lo, me, mo, oe, om, op, pe.

+1 letter: clomped, compels, compile, complex, polemic.

+2 letters: coemploy, compiled, compiler, compiles, compleat, complect, complete, complice, complied, complier, complies, compline, picomole, polemics.

+3 letters: coemploys, compelled, compilers, complects, completed, completer, completes, complexed, complexer, complexes, complexly, complices, compliers, complines, copolymer, ectoplasm, micropyle, mycophile, operculum, picomoles, polemical, policeman, policemen, polymeric, recompile, someplace.

+4 letters: accomplice, camelopard, clomiphene, coemployed, comparable, compatible, compelling, complacent, complained, complainer, complected, complement, completely, completest, completing, completion, completist, completive, complexest, complexify, complexing, complexion, complexity, compliance, complicate, compliment, complotted, composedly, compulsive, computable, copolymers, couplement, ectoplasms, epitomical, hemophilic, impolicies, incomplete, lumpectomy, lymphocyte, micropyles, mycophiles, noncomplex, operculums, plyometric, polemicist, polemicize, polychrome, proclaimed, proclaimer, recompiled, recompiles.