coercion
/kəʊˈɜːʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /kəʊˈɜːrʒn/ (ame, ipa) · /kō-ˈər-zhən -shən/ (ame, mw)
coercion — noun
1. the practice of controlling a person's actions through physical power, frighteni
the practice of controlling a person's actions through physical power, frightening threats, or heavy social or economic pressure—for example, making an employee sign a contract by threatening to fire them, or forcing citizens to obey a curfew by sending armed soldiers onto the streets.
Workers agreed to a pay cut under coercion after their boss threatened to close the factory.
under + coercion
Elena told the court she confessed under police coercion, not by her own choice.
Human rights groups reported that the government used coercion to force journalists to stop writing critical news reports.
Chidi felt that accepting the internship under coercion would set a bad example for younger colleagues.
Many countries ban employers from using coercion to prevent workers from joining a union.
- duress
a narrower legal term (C1) that specifically refers to threats of death or serious bodily harm; more technical and less common outside of law.
- compulsion
suggests an irresistible force that can be internal (psychological) or external; slightly more formal than coercion.
- intimidation
focuses on creating fear to make someone back down, rather than forcing a specific action; often implies verbal threats or menacing behaviour.
- pressure
the mildest term (B1); suggests strong persuasion without explicit threats or physical force.
- persuasion
convincing someone through reasoning or argument, not force or threats.
- voluntariness
the state of acting freely by one's own choice, without any outside force.
文法句型
coercion + to-infinitive (coercion to sign)
under + coercion
by + coercion
用法筆記
Frequently used in legal and political contexts. The phrase 'under coercion' is the most common prepositional pattern.