force (social force)

Definitions of Force

1. (noun) Anything with the authority or power to coerce or influence an individual, place or thing (object).
2. (noun) An individual or group processing or exercising authority, influence, or power.
3. (noun) A group of people engaged in an activity.

Examples of Force

• Definition 1:
  • weather: a force of nature
  • mana: a supernatural force
• Definition 2:
  • military force
  • police force
• Definition 3:
  • sales force
  • work force

Force Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: force

Audio Pronunciation

International Phonetic Alphabet

• American English – /fɔ(ə)rs/
• British English – /fɔːs/

Usage Notes

• Plural: forces
• Type: personified supernatural force
• A (noun) forcer (verb) forces a person, place, thing (object) (adverb) forcefully using (adjective) forcible or (adjective) forceful methods.

Additional Information

• Religion Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
• Word origin of “force” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com

Related Terms

• animatism
• animism
• authority
• coercion
• magic
• mana
• power
• religion
• State
• supernatural
• totemism

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Works Consulted

Hughes, Michael, and Carolyn J. Kroehler. 2011. Sociology: The Core. 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Jary, David, and Julia Jary. 2000. Collins Dictionary of Sociology. 3rd ed. Glasgow, Scotland: HarperCollins.

Macmillan. (N.d.) Macmillan Dictionary. (https://www.macmillandictionary.com/).

Merriam-Webster. (N.d.) Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/).

Oxford University Press. (N.d.) Oxford Dictionaries. (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/).

Schaefer, Richard. 2013. Sociology: A Brief Introduction. 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wiktionary, The Free Dictionary. Wikimedia Foundation. (http://en.wiktionary.org).

Cite the Definition of Force

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “force.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved April 19, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/force/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

force. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/force/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “force.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed April 19, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/force/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“force.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/force/>.