What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
forcing
Example
The company was accused of forcing its employees to work overtime without pay. [forcing: verb]
Example
The government is forcing people to get vaccinated by imposing fines on those who refuse. [forcing: present participle]
compulsion
Example
She felt a compulsion to check her phone every few minutes. [compulsion: noun]
Example
He had a compulsive need to clean his house every day. [compulsive: adjective]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Forcing is more commonly used in everyday language than compulsion. Forcing is often used in news articles, legal documents, and discussions of social issues, while compulsion is more common in psychology and self-help literature.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between forcing and compulsion?
Both forcing and compulsion can be used in formal and informal contexts, but forcing is generally considered more formal and serious than compulsion.
