compel

Compel is a transitive verb meaning to force or oblige someone to do something, or to bring about a particular result by force or necessity. It can also mean to drive or push toward a specific state. The noun form is compulsion; the related adjective compelling denotes something that arouses interest or drives action.

Etymology: from Latin compellere, from com- "together" + pellere "to drive." The form entered English in the late medieval period via Old French or directly from Latin.

Usage: The most common construction is to compel someone to do something (e.g., court orders compel witnesses to testify). In legal contexts, compulsion is used to describe the legal mechanism that obligates compliance, such as subpoenas or court orders that compel attendance, production, or testimony. A person who can be required to testify is described as compellable; a witness who cannot be compelled is non-compellable.

In broader usage, "compel" can describe something that necessitates a course of action, not by threat but by moral or practical necessity—for example, compelling evidence or a compelling argument. The word is often preferred over stronger terms like coerce when referring to lawful or voluntary acceptance of duties or findings.

See also: compulsion, compulsory, compellability, subpoena, coercion, obligation.