1. (

• force ,

) a powerful effect or influence; "the force of his eloquence easily persuaded them" ;

2. (

• force

) (physics) the influence that produces a change in a physical quantity; "force equals mass times acceleration" ;

3. (

• force ,
• forcefulness ,
• strength ,

) physical energy or intensity; "he hit with all the force he could muster"; "it was destroyed by the strength of the gale"; "a government has not the vitality and forcefulness of a living man" ;

4. (

• force ,
• personnel

) group of people willing to obey orders; "a public force is necessary to give security to the rights of citizens" ;

5. (

• military_unit ,
• military_force ,
• military_group ,
• force ,

) a unit that is part of some military service; "he sent Caesar a force of six thousand men" ;

6. (

• violence ,
• force ,

) an act of aggression (as one against a person who resists); "he may accomplish by craft in the long run what he cannot do by force and violence in the short one" ;

7. (

• power ,
• force

) one possessing or exercising power or influence or authority; "the mysterious presence of an evil power"; "may the force be with you"; "the forces of evil" ;

8. (

• force ,

) a group of people having the power of effective action; "he joined forces with a band of adventurers" ;

9. (

• effect ,
• force ,

) (of a law) having legal validity; "the law is still in effect" ;

10. (

• force_out ,
• force-out ,
• force_play ,
• force

) a putout of a base runner who is required to run; the putout is accomplished by holding the ball while touching the base to which the runner must advance before the runner reaches that base; "the shortstop got the runner at second on a force" ;

1. (

• coerce ,
• hale ,
• squeeze ,
• pressure ,
• force

) to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means; "She forced him to take a job in the city"; "He squeezed her for information" ;

2. (

• impel ,
• force

) urge or force (a person) to an action; constrain or motivate ;

3. (

• push ,
• force

) move with force; "He pushed the table into a corner" ;

4. (

• force ,
• thrust

) impose urgently, importunately, or inexorably; "She forced her diet fads on him" ;

5. (

• wedge ,
• squeeze ,
• force

) squeeze like a wedge into a tight space; "I squeezed myself into the corner" ;

6. (

• force ,
• drive ,
• ram

) force into or from an action or state, either physically or metaphorically; "She rammed her mind into focus"; "He drives me mad" ;

7. (

• force ,

) do forcibly; exert force; "Don't force it!" ;

8. (

• storm ,
• force ,

) take by force; "Storm the fort" ;