Added 9 October 2026
compel
/kəmˈpɛl/ verb
In Latin: compellō Wiktionary
verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about compel at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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Force somebody to do something.
We compel all students to fill out this form
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Necessitate or exact.
the water shortage compels conservation
Origin
From Middle English compellen, borrowed from Middle French compellir, from Latin compellere, itself from com- (“together”) + pellere (“to drive”). Displaced native Old English nīedan.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)