WordWeb Online

1. A powerful effect or influence
   "the force of his eloquence easily persuaded them"
    
2. (physics) the influence that produces a change in a physical quantity
   "force equals mass times acceleration"
    
3. Physical energy or intensity
   "he hit with all the force he could muster";
   - forcefulness, strength
    
4. Group of people willing to obey orders
   "a public force is necessary to give security to the rights of citizens";
   - personnel
    
5. (military) a unit that is part of some military service
   "he sent Caesar a force of six thousand men";
   - military unit, military force, military group
    
6. An act of aggression (as one against a person who resists)
   "he may accomplish by craft in the long run what he cannot do by force and violence in the short one";
   - violence
    
7. One possessing or exercising power or influence or authority
   "may the force be with you"; "the forces of evil";
   - power
    
8. A group of people having the power of effective action
   "he joined forces with a band of adventurers"
    
9. (of a law) having legal validity
   "the law is still in force";
   - effect
    
10. (baseball) a putout of a base runner who is required to run; the putout is accomplished by holding the ball while touching the base to which the runner must advance before the runner reaches that base
    "the shortstop got the runner at second on a force";
    - force out, force-out, force play

1. To cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means
   "She forced him to take a job in the city";
   - coerce, hale [archaic], squeeze, pressure
    
2. Urge or force (a person) to an action; constrain or motivate
   - impel
    
3. Move with force
   - push
    
4. Impose urgently, importunately, or inexorably
   "She forced her diet fads on him";
   - thrust
    
5. Force to fit into (or through) a tight space
   "I forced myself into the corner";
   - wedge, squeeze, squash, sardine [informal]
    
6. Force into or from an action or state, either physically or metaphorically
   - drive, ram
    
7. Do forcibly; exert force
   "Don't force it!"
    
8. Take by force
   "force the fort";
   - storm

Derived forms: forcing, forced, forces

See also: beat back, drive in, force out, gouge, squirt

Type of: act, aggression, causal agency, causal agent, cause, compel, displace, do, engender, hostility, influence, intensity, intensiveness, make, move, obligate, oblige, organisation [Brit], organization, penetrate, perforate, physical phenomenon, putout, social group, social unit, thrust, unit, validity, validness

Antonym: draw

Part of: armed service, military service, service

Encyclopedia: Force, Pennsylvania