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compel verb

Click to hear the UK pronunciation of this wordClick to hear the US pronunciation of this word/kəmˈpel/ v [T] (-ll-)

Definition

to force someone to do something
[+ to infinitive] As a school boy he was compelled to wear shorts even in winter.
formal The new circumstances compelled a change in policy.
See also: compulsion
formal to produce a strong feeling or reaction, sometimes unwillingly
Over the years her work has compelled universal admiration and trust.

(Definition of compel verb from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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