nonforced

Nonforced is an adjective meaning not forced or compelled, arising from free choice or without coercion, or not requiring external force. It can describe decisions, actions, or processes that occur without pressure from others.

Etymology and usage: The word is a straightforward compound of non- and forced, built from the root force. It is relatively rare in standard English; more common synonyms include voluntary, freely chosen, or uncoerced. The variant non-forced with a hyphen is also encountered, and hyphenation varies by style guide.

In science and social sciences: In physics, nonforced (or unforced) vibrations describe motion that is not driven by an external force; many writers prefer “unforced” or “free” in this sense. In social science, nonforced consent or a nonforced choice emphasizes absence of coercion rather than the complete absence of external influence. In older legal or philosophical texts, other forms such as nonforcible or non-forced may appear.

Clarity and terminology: Because the term can be ambiguous—whether it refers to lack of coercion or lack of external force—authors often opt for more precise terms like voluntary, uncoerced, free will, or unforced vibrations to avoid misinterpretation.

See also: Unforced, Free will, Voluntary action, Coercion, External force.