perforce
/pɚˈfɔɹs/adverb
perforce is spelled P-E-R-F-O-R-C-E: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 9 million words in written English, the 90,432nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adverb, perforce means “By constraint of circumstances; of necessity; as a matter of course” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in perforce?
| Letters | 8: P-E-R-F-O-R-C-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 9 million words; the 90,432nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is perforce?
Perforce appears about once in every 9 million words in written English, the 90,432nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce perforce?
- UK /pəˈfɔːs/
- US /pɚˈfɔɹs/
Perforce has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-perforce.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with perforce?
8 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as perforce from its last stressed vowel (/ɔɹs/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of perforce
- perforces present, singular, he/she/it
- perforcing participle, present
- perforced participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does perforce mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adverb
- 1
By constraint of circumstances; of necessity; as a matter of course.
- 2
archaicBy force.
verb
- 1
obsoleteTo force; to compel.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Perforce in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | forcément , nécessairement |
| Spanish | por fuerza, por la fuerza, a la fuerza , de juro |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does perforce come from?
From Middle English par force, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French par force (“by force”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).