compulsion
1 ENTRIES FOUND:
plural
compulsions
plural
compulsions
Britannica Dictionary definition of COMPULSION
1
[count]
:
a very strong desire to do something
— often followed by to + verb
-
I gave in to one of my compulsions and ordered the chocolate dessert.
-
He felt a compulsion to say something.
2
[noncount]
a
:
the act of using force or pressure to make someone do something
-
We should be able to get them to cooperate without using compulsion.
-
legal compulsion
b
:
the state of being forced to do something
-
He was acting under compulsion. [=he was being forced to act]
-
Their children read only under compulsion. [=only when they are forced]
-
We are under no compulsion to decide immediately. [=we are not required to decide immediately]
