compelled
Americanadjective
-
secured or brought about by force.
Statements made in a compelled interview may not be used in a criminal proceeding.
-
forced or driven to a particular course of action, often by an irresistible internal urge.
I haven't felt so compelled to learn as much as I can about something since my fascination with Slavic folk music!
verb
Other Word Forms
- uncompelled adjective
Etymology
Origin of compelled
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Similarly, the warmer temperatures have compelled outdoor enthusiasts to hit the trails, increasing the odds of a run-in with the serpents.
From Los Angeles Times
If only Clare had not gathered the mushrooms in one spot, the humans might not have felt compelled to destroy them.
From Literature
![]()
He and Rev Ielpo had been "compelled" to turn back from the church, where Christ was also believed to have been buried and subsequently resurrected, it said.
From BBC
Guthrie told Kotb in a segment of their “Today” interview that she feels compelled to return because she considers the people she works with as family.
From Los Angeles Times
The longer the crisis in the Persian Gulf lasts, the more that governments will feel compelled to do.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.