force
♦♦♦ force /f'ɔːrs/ (forces forcing forced)
1 [VERB] V n to-inf, V n, V n prep/adv
If someone forces you to do something, they make you do it even though you do not want to, for example by threatening you.
He was forced to resign by Russia's conservative parliament...
I cannot force you in this. You must decide...
They were grabbed by three men who appeared to force them into a car.
2 [VERB] V n to-inf, V n into/to/out of n, V n into/to/out of n
If a situation or event forces you to do something, it makes it necessary for you to do something that you would not otherwise have done.
A back injury forced her to withdraw from Wimbledon...
He turned right, down a dirt road that forced him into four-wheel drive...
She finally was forced to the conclusion that she wouldn't get another paid job in her field.
3 [VERB] V n on/upon n
If someone forces something on or upon you, they make you accept or use it when you would prefer not to.
To force this agreement on the nation is wrong.
= impose
4 [VERB] V n prep/adv
If you force something into a particular position, you use a lot of strength to make it move there.
They were forcing her head under the icy waters, drowning her.
5 [VERB] V n, V n adj
If someone forces a lock, a door, or a window, they break the lock or fastening in order to get into a building without using a key.
That evening police forced the door of the flat and arrested Mr Roberts...
He tried to force the window open but it was jammed shut.
6 [N-UNCOUNT]
If someone uses force to do something, or if it is done by force, strong and violent physical action is taken in order to achieve it.
The government decided against using force to break-up the demonstrations.
...the guerrillas' efforts to seize power by force.
7 [N-UNCOUNT]
Force is the power or strength which something has.
The force of the explosion shattered the windows of several buildings...
8 [N-COUNT] with supp, oft N in/behind n
If you refer to someone or something as a force in a particular type of activity, you mean that they have a strong influence on it.
For years the army was the most powerful political force in the country...
One of the driving forces behind this recent expansion is the growth of services.
9 [N-UNCOUNT] oft N of n
The force of something is the powerful effect or quality that it has.
He changed our world through the force of his ideas...
10 [N-COUNT] usu pl, usu with supp
You can use forces to refer to processes and events that do not appear to be caused by human beings, and are therefore difficult to understand or control.
...the protection of mankind against the forces of nature: epidemics, predators, floods, hurricanes...
The principle of market forces was applied to some of the countries most revered institutions...
11 [N-VAR]
In physics, a force is the pulling or pushing effect that something has on something else.
...the earth's gravitational force.
...protons and electrons trapped by magnetic forces in the Van Allen belts.
12 [N-UNCOUNT] N num
Force is used before a number to indicate a wind of a particular speed or strength, especially a very strong wind.
Northerly winds will increase to force six by midday.
13 [VERB] V n, V-ed
If you force a smile or a laugh, you manage to smile or laugh, but with an effort because you are unhappy.
Joe forced a smile, but underneath he was a little disturbed...
`Why don't you offer me a drink?' he asked, with a forced smile.
14 [N-COUNT] usu pl
Forces are groups of soldiers or military vehicles that are organized for a particular purpose.
...the deployment of American forces in the region.
15 [N-PLURAL]
The forces means the army, the navy, or the air force, or all three.
The more senior you become in the forces, the more likely you are to end up in a desk job.
16 [N-SING] det N
The force is sometimes used to mean the police force.
It was hard for a police officer to make friends outside the force.
17
see also air force, armed forces, peacekeeping, peacekeeping, task force, tour de force, workforce
18 [PHRASE] usu from/by PHR
If you do something from force of habit, you do it because you have always done it in the past, rather than because you have thought carefully about it.
Unconsciously, by force of habit, she plugged the coffee pot in.
19 [PHRASE] v-link PHR
A law, rule, or system that is in force exists or is being used.
Although the new tax is already in force, you have until November to lodge an appeal.
20 [PHRASE] PHR after v
When people do something in force, they do it in large numbers.
Voters turned out in force for their first taste of multi-party elections.
21 [PHRASE] V inflects, pl-n PHR, PHR with n
If you join forces with someone, you work together in order to achieve a common aim or purpose.
William joined forces with businessman Nicholas Court to launch the new vehicle.
22 [PHRASE] V inflects, oft PHR through/into n
If you force your way through or into somewhere, you have to push or break things that are in your way in order to get there.
The miners were armed with clubs as they forced their way through a police cordon...
He forced his way into a house shouting for help.
23
to force someone's hand: see hand♦ air force (air forces)
[N-COUNT]
An air force is the part of a country's armed forces that is concerned with fighting in the air.
...the United States Air Force...cen|trifu|gal force /sentr'ɪfjʊgəl f'ɔːrs/
[N-UNCOUNT]
In physics, centrifugal force is the force that makes objects move outwards when they are spinning around something or travelling in a curve.
The juice is extracted by centrifugal force.ex|pedi|tion|ary force /'ekspɪd'ɪʃənri fɔːrs, AM -neri/ (expeditionary forces)
[N-COUNT]
An expeditionary force is a group of soldiers who are sent to fight in a foreign country. (MILITARY)force back
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), also V n P
If you force back an emotion or desire, you manage, with an effort, not to experience it.
Nancy forced back tears. She wasn't going to cry in front of all those people.
= fight backla|bour force (labour forces)
[N-COUNT] usu sing
The labour force consists of all the people who are able to work in a country or area, or all the people who work for a particular company. (BUSINESS)life force
also life-force
[N-UNCOUNT]
Life force is energy that some people believe exists in all living things and keeps them alive.po|lice force (police forces)
[N-COUNT] oft N n
A police force is the police organization in a particular country or area.
...the South Wales police force.sales force (sales forces)
also salesforce
[N-COUNT]
A company's sales force is all the people that work for that company selling its products.spent force
[N-SING] a N
If you refer to someone who used to be powerful as a spent force, you mean that they no longer have any power or influence.
As a political leader he was something of a spent force.♦ task force (task forces)
also taskforce
1 [N-COUNT]
A task force is a small section of an army, navy, or air force that is sent to a particular place to deal with a military crisis.
The United States is sending a naval task force to the area to evacuate American citizens.
2 [N-COUNT]
A task force is a group of people working together on a particular task.
We have set up a task force to look at the question of women returning to work.tour de force /t'ʊər də f'ɔːrs/ (tours de force)
also tour-de-force
[N-COUNT] usu sing
If you call something such as a performance, speech, or production a tour de force, you are emphasizing that it is extremely good or extremely well done or made.
Stevenson's deeply felt performance is a tour-de-force...
1 [VERB] V n to-inf, V n, V n prep/adv
If someone forces you to do something, they make you do it even though you do not want to, for example by threatening you.
He was forced to resign by Russia's conservative parliament...
I cannot force you in this. You must decide...
They were grabbed by three men who appeared to force them into a car.
2 [VERB] V n to-inf, V n into/to/out of n, V n into/to/out of n
If a situation or event forces you to do something, it makes it necessary for you to do something that you would not otherwise have done.
A back injury forced her to withdraw from Wimbledon...
He turned right, down a dirt road that forced him into four-wheel drive...
She finally was forced to the conclusion that she wouldn't get another paid job in her field.
3 [VERB] V n on/upon n
If someone forces something on or upon you, they make you accept or use it when you would prefer not to.
To force this agreement on the nation is wrong.
= impose
4 [VERB] V n prep/adv
If you force something into a particular position, you use a lot of strength to make it move there.
They were forcing her head under the icy waters, drowning her.
5 [VERB] V n, V n adj
If someone forces a lock, a door, or a window, they break the lock or fastening in order to get into a building without using a key.
That evening police forced the door of the flat and arrested Mr Roberts...
He tried to force the window open but it was jammed shut.
6 [N-UNCOUNT]
If someone uses force to do something, or if it is done by force, strong and violent physical action is taken in order to achieve it.
The government decided against using force to break-up the demonstrations.
...the guerrillas' efforts to seize power by force.
7 [N-UNCOUNT]
Force is the power or strength which something has.
The force of the explosion shattered the windows of several buildings...
8 [N-COUNT] with supp, oft N in/behind n
If you refer to someone or something as a force in a particular type of activity, you mean that they have a strong influence on it.
For years the army was the most powerful political force in the country...
One of the driving forces behind this recent expansion is the growth of services.
9 [N-UNCOUNT] oft N of n
The force of something is the powerful effect or quality that it has.
He changed our world through the force of his ideas...
10 [N-COUNT] usu pl, usu with supp
You can use forces to refer to processes and events that do not appear to be caused by human beings, and are therefore difficult to understand or control.
...the protection of mankind against the forces of nature: epidemics, predators, floods, hurricanes...
The principle of market forces was applied to some of the countries most revered institutions...
11 [N-VAR]
In physics, a force is the pulling or pushing effect that something has on something else.
...the earth's gravitational force.
...protons and electrons trapped by magnetic forces in the Van Allen belts.
12 [N-UNCOUNT] N num
Force is used before a number to indicate a wind of a particular speed or strength, especially a very strong wind.
Northerly winds will increase to force six by midday.
13 [VERB] V n, V-ed
If you force a smile or a laugh, you manage to smile or laugh, but with an effort because you are unhappy.
Joe forced a smile, but underneath he was a little disturbed...
`Why don't you offer me a drink?' he asked, with a forced smile.
14 [N-COUNT] usu pl
Forces are groups of soldiers or military vehicles that are organized for a particular purpose.
...the deployment of American forces in the region.
15 [N-PLURAL]
The forces means the army, the navy, or the air force, or all three.
The more senior you become in the forces, the more likely you are to end up in a desk job.
16 [N-SING] det N
The force is sometimes used to mean the police force.
It was hard for a police officer to make friends outside the force.
17
see also air force, armed forces, peacekeeping, peacekeeping, task force, tour de force, workforce
18 [PHRASE] usu from/by PHR
If you do something from force of habit, you do it because you have always done it in the past, rather than because you have thought carefully about it.
Unconsciously, by force of habit, she plugged the coffee pot in.
19 [PHRASE] v-link PHR
A law, rule, or system that is in force exists or is being used.
Although the new tax is already in force, you have until November to lodge an appeal.
20 [PHRASE] PHR after v
When people do something in force, they do it in large numbers.
Voters turned out in force for their first taste of multi-party elections.
21 [PHRASE] V inflects, pl-n PHR, PHR with n
If you join forces with someone, you work together in order to achieve a common aim or purpose.
William joined forces with businessman Nicholas Court to launch the new vehicle.
22 [PHRASE] V inflects, oft PHR through/into n
If you force your way through or into somewhere, you have to push or break things that are in your way in order to get there.
The miners were armed with clubs as they forced their way through a police cordon...
He forced his way into a house shouting for help.
23
to force someone's hand: see hand♦ air force (air forces)
[N-COUNT]
An air force is the part of a country's armed forces that is concerned with fighting in the air.
...the United States Air Force...cen|trifu|gal force /sentr'ɪfjʊgəl f'ɔːrs/
[N-UNCOUNT]
In physics, centrifugal force is the force that makes objects move outwards when they are spinning around something or travelling in a curve.
The juice is extracted by centrifugal force.ex|pedi|tion|ary force /'ekspɪd'ɪʃənri fɔːrs, AM -neri/ (expeditionary forces)
[N-COUNT]
An expeditionary force is a group of soldiers who are sent to fight in a foreign country. (MILITARY)force back
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), also V n P
If you force back an emotion or desire, you manage, with an effort, not to experience it.
Nancy forced back tears. She wasn't going to cry in front of all those people.
= fight backla|bour force (labour forces)
[N-COUNT] usu sing
The labour force consists of all the people who are able to work in a country or area, or all the people who work for a particular company. (BUSINESS)life force
also life-force
[N-UNCOUNT]
Life force is energy that some people believe exists in all living things and keeps them alive.po|lice force (police forces)
[N-COUNT] oft N n
A police force is the police organization in a particular country or area.
...the South Wales police force.sales force (sales forces)
also salesforce
[N-COUNT]
A company's sales force is all the people that work for that company selling its products.spent force
[N-SING] a N
If you refer to someone who used to be powerful as a spent force, you mean that they no longer have any power or influence.
As a political leader he was something of a spent force.♦ task force (task forces)
also taskforce
1 [N-COUNT]
A task force is a small section of an army, navy, or air force that is sent to a particular place to deal with a military crisis.
The United States is sending a naval task force to the area to evacuate American citizens.
2 [N-COUNT]
A task force is a group of people working together on a particular task.
We have set up a task force to look at the question of women returning to work.tour de force /t'ʊər də f'ɔːrs/ (tours de force)
also tour-de-force
[N-COUNT] usu sing
If you call something such as a performance, speech, or production a tour de force, you are emphasizing that it is extremely good or extremely well done or made.
Stevenson's deeply felt performance is a tour-de-force...