# force

> English word · Noun · IPA /fɔːs/ · frequency rank #587

## Definitions
1. Ability to influence; strength or energy of body or mind; active power; vigour; might; capacity of exercising an influence or producing an effect.
2. 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).
3. 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).
4. 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).
5. 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).
6. 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).
7. Anything that is able to make a substantial change in a person or thing.
8. Something or anything that has the power to produce a physical effect upon something else, such as causing it to move or change shape.
9. Something that exerts influence.
10. Something that exerts influence.
11. Power exerted against will or consent; compulsory power; violence; coercion.
12. Power exerted against will or consent; compulsory power; violence; coercion.
13. 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).
14. 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).
15. 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).
16. 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).
17. The state of having legal weight, of being legally valid,.
18. 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.
19. Ability of an utterance or its element (word, form, prosody, ...) to effect a given meaning.
20. The annualized instantaneous rate of change at a particular timepoint.

## Etymology
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”).

## Easily confused with
- **free** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/force-vs-free)
- **form** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/force-vs-form)
- **ford** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/force-vs-ford)
- **fort** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/force-vs-fort)
- **fork** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/force-vs-fork)
- **forms** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/force-vs-forms)
- **forth** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/force-vs-forth)
- **forum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/force-vs-forum)
- **forty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/force-vs-forty)
- **forge** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/force-vs-forge)
- **forex** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/force-vs-forex)
- **forte** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/force-vs-forte)
- **forgo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/force-vs-forgo)
- **Foyle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/force-vs-foyle)
- **former** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/force-vs-former)
- **forget** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/force-vs-forget)
- **forces** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/force-vs-forces)
- **forced** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/force-vs-forced)
- **formed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/force-vs-formed)
- **forged** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/force-vs-forged)

## Common misspellings (7)
`fforce`, `focre`, `forcce`, `forec`, `forrce`, `froce`, `ofrce`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/force