Word a Day
compulsion
What does compulsion mean?
compulsion (noun): an irrational need or irresistible urge to perform some action, often despite negative consequences.
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How do you use compulsion in a sentence?
- His loquaciousness is almost a compulsion. (Tatoeba sentence #12312916 by Miktsoanit, CC BY 2.0 FR)
How do you pronounce compulsion?
/kəmˈpʌlʃən/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does compulsion come from?
Borrowed from Middle French compulsion, from Late Latin compulsiō, from Latin compellere (“to compel, coerce”).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Words related to compulsion
From Princeton WordNet 3.1.
Test yourself: do you know “compulsion”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “compulsion” mean?
an irrational need or irresistible urge to perform some action, often despite negative consequences
Right! That's what “compulsion” means.
the feel or shape of a surface or substance; the smoothness, roughness, softness, etc. of something
Not quite: that's what texture means.
a musical part (vocal or instrumental) that supports or provides background for other musical parts
Not quite: that's what accompaniment means.
an amateur who engages in an activity without serious intentions and who pretends to have knowledge
Not quite: that's what dilettante means.
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