What does Compulsion mean?

Definitions for Compulsion
kəmˈpʌl ʃəncom·pul·sion

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Compulsion.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. compulsion, irresistible impulsenoun

    an urge to do or say something that might be better left undone or unsaid

    "he felt a compulsion to babble on about the accident"

  2. compulsion, obsessionnoun

    an irrational motive for performing trivial or repetitive actions, even against your will

    "her compulsion to wash her hands repeatedly"

  3. compulsion, coercionnoun

    using force to cause something to occur

    "though pressed into rugby under compulsion I began to enjoy the game"; "they didn't have to use coercion"

Wiktionary

  1. compulsionnoun

    An irrational need to perform some action, often despite negative consequences.

    During the basketball game, I had a sudden compulsion to have a smoke.

  2. compulsionnoun

    The use of authority, influence, or other power to force (compel) a person or persons to act.

  3. compulsionnoun

    The lawful use of violence (i.e. by the administration).

  4. Etymology: From compulsio, from compellere; see compel.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Compulsionnoun

    Etymology: compulsio, Latin.

    If reasons were as plenty as blackberries, I would give no man a reason on compulsion. William Shakespeare, Henry IV. p. i.

    Thoughts, whither have ye led me! with that sweet
    Compulsion thus transported. John Milton, Paradise Lost, b. ix.

    Such sweet compulsion doth in musick lye,
    To lull the daughters of necessity. John Milton.

    Compulsion is in an agent capable of volition, when the beginning or continuation of any action is contrary to the preference of his mind. John Locke.

    When the fierce foe hung on our broken rear,
    With what compulsion and laborious flight
    We sunk thus low? John Milton, Paradise Lost, b. ii. l. 80.

    This faculty is free from compulsion, and so spontaneous, and free from determination by the particular object. Matthew Hale.

    Possibly there were others who assisted Harold, partly out of fear and compulsion. Matthew Hale, on Common Law.

ChatGPT

  1. compulsion

    Compulsion is a strong, irresistible urge to behave in a certain way, especially against one's conscious wishes. It often refers to psychological forces driving certain actions, such as those seen in obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, it can also refer to a general drive or force that pushes someone to act in a particular way. Compulsion may be influenced by internal psychological factors or external social or environmental factors.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Compulsionnoun

    the act of compelling, or the state of being compelled; the act of driving or urging by force or by physical or moral constraint; subjection to force

Wikidata

  1. Compulsion

    Compulsion was an Irish punk band. They formed in the 1990 by Josephmary and Sid Rainey as Thee Amazing Colossal Men. They signed a recording contract with Virgin Records, but after winning a lawsuit against their record label, they became 'Compulsion' in 1992. Joined by guitarist Garret Lee and drummer Jan-Willem Alkema, they moved to North London and signed to One Little Indian. They released several EPs and two albums. The first, Comforter, was labelled by the NME as part of the "New Wave of New Wave", while the second, The Future is Medium, saw them sport identical black outfits and orange hairdos. The group split in 1996, after which Lee formed Jacknife Lee, and later produced Snow Patrol and U2. Alkema joined China Drum and later Driven to Collision. Rainey is now a writer and has created and produced an animated children's TV series called Underground Ernie for the BBC. Josephmary now lives in Ireland.

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer

  1. compulsion

    Is a constraint upon the will whereby an officer is urged to that which his judgment disapproves, and which, it is to be presumed, his will (if left to itself) would reject. As punishments are, therefore, only inflicted for the abuse of that free will which God has given to man, it is highly just and equitable that an officer should be excused for those acts which are done through unavoidable force and compulsion.

Suggested Resources

  1. compulsion

    Song lyrics by compulsion -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by compulsion on the Lyrics.com website.

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How to pronounce Compulsion?

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of Compulsion in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of Compulsion in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of Compulsion in a Sentence

  1. Steven Mosher:

    China has set up a deadly demographic trap for itself, condemning itself to low or no growth for years to come, regardless of how many babies they can, using persuasion or compulsion, get young women to bear.

  2. Adam Schiff:

    Senior White House officials will move as expeditiously as possible, but Senior White House officials have to see what witnesses are going to make themselves available and what witnesses are going to require compulsion.

  3. RAMANA PEMMARAJU:

    Man dwells between passion and compulsion

  4. Alfred Hitchcock:

    We seem to have a compulsion these days to bury time capsules in order to give those people living in the next century or so some idea of what we are like. I have prepared one of my own. I have placed some rather large samples of dynamite, gunpowder, and nitroglycerin. My time capsule is set to go off in the year 3000. It will show them what we are really like.

  5. Jeremy Boberg:

    Eighty-five to 90 percent of my clients that come in annually have a sexual addiction or compulsion.For the first time in the human race, you can make love to your computer, smartphone, or tablet anytime, anywhere, and the human brain was not designed for this, it’s cocaine on steroids. It’s touch deprivation, so you don’t need to go to your spouse or your significant other for that connection, which is paramount to cultivating relationships.

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Translations for Compulsion

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"Compulsion." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Compulsion>.

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