coercive
adjective
co·er·cive
kō-ˈər-siv 
: serving or intended to coerce
coercive power
coercive measures
coercively
adverb
coerciveness
noun
Examples of coercive in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
More than 80 women went public with horrific tales of his brutal, coercive and punishing tactics, including launching vicious, career-crippling smear campaigns against those who eluded him, from Mira Sorvino to Ashley Judd.
—
Scott Huver, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2025
Taiwanese authorities have not ruled out gray zone tactics—coercive actions that fall short of war.
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
The case will now head back to the specialist court, which is investigating if the Security Service breached the woman’s human rights by failing to protect her from Agent X’s abusive and coercive behavior.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 12 Feb. 2025
Realistically, even major investments will enable Taiwan only to make an invasion slow, long, and costly, not to render coercive unification impossible.
—Jennifer Kavanagh, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
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Scott Huver, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2025
Taiwanese authorities have not ruled out gray zone tactics—coercive actions that fall short of war.
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
The case will now head back to the specialist court, which is investigating if the Security Service breached the woman’s human rights by failing to protect her from Agent X’s abusive and coercive behavior.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 12 Feb. 2025
Realistically, even major investments will enable Taiwan only to make an invasion slow, long, and costly, not to render coercive unification impossible.
—Jennifer Kavanagh, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coercive
Cite this Entry
“Coercive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coercive. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
coercive
adjective
co·er·cive
kō-ˈər-siv
1
: serving or intended to coerce
2
: resulting from coercion
to protect women from coercive intimacy—Kimberle Crenshaw
Kimberle CrenshawLove words? Need even more definitions?
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