compulsion

noun
UK: /kəmˈpʌl.ʃən/
US: /kəmˈpʌl.ʃən/

  1. A strong feeling that you must do something, even if you don't want to.

    1. He felt a sudden compulsion to run.
    2. The gambler experienced an overwhelming compulsion to place another bet despite his losses.

  2. The act of forcing someone to do something.

    1. Compulsion was used to get him to confess.
    2. Under legal compulsion, the company released the documents requested by the court.

  3. An irresistible persistent impulse to perform an act (such as excessive hand washing) especially as a result of obsessive thoughts and usually against one's better judgment : COMPULSORY BEHAVIOR

    1. His shopping compulsion made him poor.
    2. She managed to resist her compulsion to check the locks repeatedly before leaving the house.

Synonyms

impulse force urge coercion obsession constraint

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "compulsion" in English means: A strong feeling that you must do something, even if you don't want to., The act of forcing someone to do something., An irresistible persistent impulse to perform an act (such as excessive hand washing) especially as a result of obsessive thoughts and usually against one's better judgment : COMPULSORY BEHAVIOR.

The phonetic transcription of "compulsion" is /kəmˈpʌl.ʃən/ in British English and /kəmˈpʌl.ʃən/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "compulsion": impulse, force, urge, coercion, obsession, constraint.

Example usage of "compulsion": "He felt a sudden compulsion to run.". More examples on the page.