coercere

Coercere is a Latin verb of the second conjugation meaning to confine, restrain, check, or repress. It is transitive and typically governs a direct object in the accusative, often conveying restraint by force, authority, or law. The standard principal parts are coerceo, coercere, coercui, coercitum; the passive infinitive is coerceri, and the perfect passive participle is coercitus, used with sum to form passive constructions.

Etymology and related forms: coercere is formed from the prefix co- (together, thoroughly) with arcere, a verb meaning to hold back or restrain. The sense has extended in English to the noun coercion and the adjective coercive, as well as to the verb coerce, all ultimately deriving from this Latin root.

Usage: In classical Latin, coercere appears in legal, political, and moral contexts to denote restraining force, preventing excess, or keeping within bounds. It can imply coercion by law, by authority, or by force. A simple example is Pater filios coercuit, meaning the father restrained his sons.

English derivatives: The Latin term gives rise to coercion (the act or process of coercing), coercive (tending to compel obedience), and the agent noun coercer. The verb coerce in English derives from coercere through French and later Latin/medieval Latin intermediaries.

See also: related Latin verbs such as cohibere (to restrain, hold back) and compellere (to drive or compel). Coercere remains a standard classical term for the act of restraining or suppressing action or behavior by authority or force.

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