Finesentence logo

Compulsion: meaning, definitions and examples

🔮
Add to dictionary

compulsion

 

[ kəmˈpʌlʃ(ə)n ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

feeling

The action or state of forcing or being forced to do something; constraint. The irresistible impulse to perform an act, especially one that is irrational or contrary to one's will.

Synonyms

desire, drive, need, urge

Examples of usage

  • She felt a compulsion to tell the truth.
  • He couldn't resist the compulsion to check his phone.
Context #2 | Noun

psychology

An irrationally motivated act or decision. An irrational motive for performing trivial or repetitive actions, even against your will.

Synonyms

craving, fixation, impulse, obsession

Examples of usage

  • His compulsion to wash his hands repeatedly is a symptom of OCD.
  • She has a compulsion to count things repeatedly.

Translations

Translations of the word "compulsion" in other languages:

🇵🇹 compulsão

🇮🇳 आवश्यकता

🇩🇪 Zwang

🇮🇩 paksaan

🇺🇦 примус

🇵🇱 przymus

🇯🇵 強制 (きょうせい)

🇫🇷 compulsion

🇪🇸 compulsión

🇹🇷 zorlama

🇰🇷 강박

🇸🇦 إكراه

🇨🇿 nutkání

🇸🇰 nutkanie

🇨🇳 强迫 (qiǎngpò)

🇸🇮 prisila

🇮🇸 þrýstingur

🇰🇿 мәжбүрлеу

🇬🇪 იძულება

🇦🇿 məcburiyyət

🇲🇽 compulsión

Etymology

The word 'compulsion' originated from the Latin word 'compulsio', which means 'a driving, a force'. The concept of compulsion has been studied in psychology and psychiatry, particularly in relation to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and addiction. The feeling of compulsion has been described in various literary works and is a common theme in human behavior and decision-making.

See also: compelled, compelling, compellingly, compellingness, uncompelling.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranked #10,580, this word falls into high-advanced vocabulary. It appears less frequently but is valuable for expressing precise meanings in specific contexts.