ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsCcompel
ISEE/SSATmedium
compel
Meaning: to force or require someone to act
compel in a sentence
How compel is used in real sentences:
The new evidence may compel the committee to reopen the case.
The safety rule will compel riders to wear helmets.
“Others lamented the possible loss of the museum’s calm atmosphere and warned that excess heat could compel staff to close certain rooms for safety.”
— from the passage The Brightness Debate
Synonyms for compel
Other words for compel — force, require and oblige — carry the same meaning.
- force
- require
- oblige
Antonyms of compel
Words that mean the opposite of compel:
- dissuade
Where it comes from
From Latin compellere, meaning 'to drive together' or 'force.'
Word parts
- con/com/col/cor/co — together, with
compel: com- (thoroughly) + pel (drive, from pellere)
Memory hook
Compel sounds like 'command'; both can push someone to act.