force

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /fɔːs/ (General American) enPR: fôrs, IPA(key): /foɹs/, [fo̞ɹs] (Indic) IPA(key): /foː(ɾ)s/, (spelling pronunciation) /fɒ(ɾ)s/ (rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) enPR: fōrs, IPA(key): /fo(ː)ɹs/ (non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA(key): /foəs/ Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)s === Etymology 1 === From Middle English force, fors, forse, from Old French force, from Late Latin fortia, a noun derived from the neuter plural of Latin fortis (“strong”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (“to rise, high, hill”). ==== Noun ==== force (countable and uncountable, plural forces) Ability to influence; strength or energy of body or mind; active power; vigour; might; capacity of exercising an influence or producing an effect. (physics) A physical quantity that denotes ability to push, pull, twist or accelerate a body and which has a direction and is measured in a unit dimensioned in mass × distance/time² (ML/T²): SI: newton (N); CGS: dyne (dyn). Coordinate terms: moment of force, torque, work, energy, power (uncountable) The generalized abstraction of this concept. (countable) A particular form or type of force. (humorous or science fiction, with the, often capitalized) A metaphysical and ubiquitous power from the fictional Star Wars universe created by George Lucas. See usage note. [1977] (countable) An instance of a physical force. (mass noun, possibly proscribed) Force understood as something of which there can be an amount. (countable) Anything that is able to make a substantial change in a person or thing. Something or anything that has the power to produce a physical effect upon something else, such as causing it to move or change shape. (countable) Something that exerts influence. Near-synonyms: influence, factor, pressure (when in reference to that which it affects) Something that, over time, influences a system with which it interacts (with a connotation of underlyingness, subtlety, or indirectness). (uncountable) Power exerted against will or consent; compulsory power; violence; coercion. (law) Either unlawful violence, as in a "forced entry", or lawful compulsion. (countable) A group organized for the goal of attacking, controlling, or constraining, especially one with a set command structure (in particular, a military or police group). Any large, organized group involved in a military engagement. (in the singular or plural) Military personnel, collectively, including any vehicles, ships, or aircraft. More broadly, the military or police altogether. (usually with "the", in the singular or plural) Synonym of police force. 1992, Rage Against the Machine (band), Killing in the Name: Some of those that work forces / Are the same that burn crosses (law, uncountable) The state of having legal weight, of being legally valid,. Near-synonym: effect (not limited to legal contexts) (countable) A magic trick in which the outcome is known to the magician beforehand, especially one involving the apparent free choice of a card by another person. (linguistics, semantics, pragmatics) Ability of an utterance or its element (word, form, prosody, ...) to effect a given meaning. (financial mathematics, actuarial science) The annualized instantaneous rate of change at a particular timepoint. ===== Usage notes ===== (science fiction): Outside of fiction, the force may be used as an alternative to invoking luck, destiny, or God. For example, the force was with him instead of luck was on his side, or may the force be with you instead of may God be with you. ===== Sense overview ===== Most of the main senses can be placed under the following umbrellas, all centered on the notion of influence: The ability to exert influence; in other words, power or strength (the original sense borrowed from French). Influence itself. Something by which influence takes place (as in the physics senses). Something that can or does exert influence (as in the military senses). Forced influence, i.e. coercion. ===== Hyponyms ===== ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Collocations ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== See also ==== Imperial unit: pound, poundal metric unit: newton ==== References ==== force on Wikipedia.Wikipedia === Etymology 2 === From Middle English forcen, from Old French forcier, from Late Latin *fortiāre, from Latin fortia. ==== Verb ==== force (third-person singular simple present forces, present participle forcing, simple past and past participle forced) (transitive) To make someone or something do something, often regardless of their will. [from 15thc.] Synonym: thrust (transitive) To constrain by force; to overcome the limitations or resistance of. [from 16thc.] (transitive) To drive (something) by force, to propel (generally + prepositional phrase or adverb). [from 16thc.] Synonym: thrust (transitive) To cause to occur (despite inertia, resistance etc.); to produce through force. [from 16thc.] (transitive) To forcibly open (a door, lock etc.). [from 17thc.] (transitive) To violate (a woman); to rape. [from 14thc.] (obsolete, reflexive, intransitive) To exert oneself, to do one's utmost. [from 14thc.] To obtain or win by strength; to take by violence or struggle; specifically, to capture by assault; to storm, as a fortress. (transitive, baseball) To create an out by touching a base in advance of a runner who has no base to return to while in possession of a ball which has already touched the ground. (whist) To compel (an adversary or partner) to trump a trick by leading a suit that he/she does not hold. (archaic) To put in force; to cause to be executed; to make binding; to enforce. (archaic) To provide with forces; to reinforce; to strengthen by soldiers; to man; to garrison. (obsolete) To allow the force of; to value; to care for. To grow (rhubarb) in the dark, causing it to grow early. ===== Conjugation ===== ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== See also ==== coerce: To control by force. === Etymology 3 === From Middle English force, forz, fors, from Old Norse fors (“waterfall”), from Proto-Germanic *fursaz (“waterfall”). Cognate with Icelandic foss (“waterfall”), Norwegian foss (“waterfall”), Swedish fors (“waterfall”). Doublet of foss. ==== Noun ==== force (plural forces) (countable, Northern England) A waterfall or cascade. ===== Derived terms ===== forcefall ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 4 === From Middle English forcen, forsen, a use of force, with confusion of farce (“to stuff”). ==== Verb ==== force (third-person singular simple present forces, present participle forcing, simple past and past participle forced) To stuff; to lard; to farce. ===== Derived terms ===== forcemeat === Further reading === “force”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. “force”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “force”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. === Anagrams === Cofer, Corfe, corfe == French == === Etymology === Inherited from Old French force, from Late Latin fortia, a noun derived from the neuter plural of Latin fortis (“strong”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /fɔʁs/ Rhymes: -ɔʁs Homophones: forcent, forces === Noun === force f (plural forces) force strength Coordinate term: faiblesse ==== Synonyms ==== pouvoir puissance violence ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== → Azerbaijani: fors → Polish: forsa → Russian: форс (fors) === Adjective === force (invariable) (archaic) Many; a lot of; a great quantity of === Verb === force inflection of forcer: first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive second-person singular imperative === Further reading === “force”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == Galician == === Verb === force inflection of forzar: first/third-person singular present subjunctive third-person singular imperative (reintegrationist norm) inflection of forçar: first/third-person singular present subjunctive third-person singular imperative == Middle French == === Etymology === From Old French force. === Noun === force f (plural forces) force (physical effort; physical might) ==== Descendants ==== French: force→ Azerbaijani: fors→ Polish: forsa→ Russian: форс (fors) == Old English == === Noun === force f alternative form of forca (found in compounds) == Old French == === Alternative forms === forche (northern) fors === Etymology === From Late Latin fortia, a noun derived from the neuter plural of Latin fortis (“strong”). === Pronunciation === (classical) IPA(key): /ˈfɔɾt͡sə/, (northern) /-t͡ʃə/ (late) IPA(key): /ˈfɔɾsə/, (northern) /-ʃə/ === Noun === force oblique singular, f (oblique plural forces, nominative singular force, nominative plural forces) strength; might ==== Related terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== Middle French: forceFrench: force→ Azerbaijani: fors→ Polish: forsa→ Russian: форс (fors) Walloon: foice → Middle English: force, fors, forse English: force → Irish: fórsa == Portuguese == === Verb === force inflection of forçar: first/third-person singular present subjunctive third-person singular imperative