coercion

Meanings

1. Actual or threatened force for the purpose of compelling action by another person; the act of coercing.
2. Use of physical or moral force to compel a person to do something, or to abstain from doing something, thereby depriving that person of the exercise of free will.
3. A specific instance of coercing.
4. Conversion of a value of one data type to a value of another data type.
5. The process by which the meaning of a word or other linguistic element is reinterpreted to match the grammatical context.
6. The initiation or threat of conflict; aggression.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English cohercioun, from Old French cohercion, from Latin coërcitiō (“magisterial coercion”), from past participle coercitus of coërceō (“to restrain, coerce”), from co- (“with”) + arceō (“to shut in, enclose”); see coerce.