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
In the absence of severe consequences, Beijing will continue and even intensify its coercive actions.
—
David Santoro, Foreign Affairs, 22 May 2025
Rather than trying to win friends, the wielders of coercive hard power bully others with economic and military might, sometimes achieving their short-term goals but inevitably building resentment in the process.
—Angela Lederach, Oc Register, 8 May 2025
Trump started threatening to annex Canada, and started backing that rhetoric with coercive policies, like hitting Canada with tariffs for no discernible reason, and without any sensical guidance as to how Canada could reverse them.
—Sean Collins, Vox, 28 Apr. 2025
By building a social and political movement that gave him coercive power over the GOP, he’s been able to punish heretics and elevate loyalists committed to advancing his agenda and interests.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 27 Mar. 2025
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David Santoro, Foreign Affairs, 22 May 2025
Rather than trying to win friends, the wielders of coercive hard power bully others with economic and military might, sometimes achieving their short-term goals but inevitably building resentment in the process.
—Angela Lederach, Oc Register, 8 May 2025
Trump started threatening to annex Canada, and started backing that rhetoric with coercive policies, like hitting Canada with tariffs for no discernible reason, and without any sensical guidance as to how Canada could reverse them.
—Sean Collins, Vox, 28 Apr. 2025
By building a social and political movement that gave him coercive power over the GOP, he’s been able to punish heretics and elevate loyalists committed to advancing his agenda and interests.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 27 Mar. 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 4 Jun. 2025.
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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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