compulsion

[ kuhm-puhl-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of compelling; compel; constraint; coercion.
2. the state or condition of being compelled.
3. Psychology. a strong, usually irresistible impulse to perform an act, especially one that is irrational or contrary to one's will.

compulsion

/ kəmˈpʌlʃən /

noun

1. the act of compelling or the state of being compelled
2. something that compels
3. psychiatry an inner drive that causes a person to perform actions, often of a trivial and repetitive nature, against his or her will See also obsession

compulsion

1. In psychology , an internal force that leads persons to act against their will. A “compulsive” act cannot be controlled: “Smith was a compulsive gambler.”

Other Words From

• noncom·pulsion noun
• precom·pulsion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of compulsion¹

1375–1425; late Middle English (< Anglo-French ) < Late Latin compulsiōn- (stem of compulsiō ), equivalent to Latin compuls ( us ), past participle of compellere to compel ( com- com- + pul- variant stem + -sus past participle suffix) + -iōn- -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of compulsion¹

C15: from Old French, from Latin compellere to compel

Example Sentences

Like many other gravers, I’ve come to understand personally the compulsion behind it—and all a simple discovery can do to a person still among the living.

From Slate

Trump is not a “lying low” kind of guy, though, and his response to the hurricane situation in the South—Helene hit last month, and Milton is headed toward Florida presently—is the latest instance of his compulsion to center himself in the national news, to his own detriment.

From Slate

“All my life, I’ve mouthed off about how I should stop acting, and I don’t know why it was different this time, but the impulse to quit took root in me, and that became a compulsion. It was something I had to do.”

From Los Angeles Times

Some of his aides have recounted this compulsion in books they’ve written after leaving office.

From Slate

“Addiction is like an ironclad compulsion,” said Dr. Michael McDaniel, the medical director of Heartland House in San Diego.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• coercion
• obsession
• preoccupation
• urgency