force

force
{{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}}
noun
1 physical strength, power or violence
ADJECTIVE
considerable, great, terrible, tremendous
full, maximum
brute, sheer
reasonable (esp. BrE)
sufficient
excessive
unlawful (BrE)
deadly, lethal
explosive
physical
gale, hurricane

The wind was increasing to gale force.

hurricane-force winds

VERB + FORCE
employ, resort to, use

In the end, we had to resort to brute force to get the door open.

take sth by

The troops marched in and took the city by force.

feel

Everyone felt the force of his argument.

PREPOSITION
by force

The king made laws and imposed them by force.

PHRASES
catch the full force of sth, feel the full force of sth, take the full force of sth

Our house took the full force of the bomb blast.

I felt the full force of her criticism.

force of personality, force of will

She used her sheer force of personality to keep the family together.

meet force with force (esp. AmE)

The country's attempts to meet force with force (= resist an attack using force) led to the outbreak of war.

the use of force

The regulations allow the use of force if necessary.

2 effect that causes sth to move
ADJECTIVE
powerful, strong
weak
attractive
repulsive
external, internal

Deep internal forces cause movements of the earth's crust.

lateral
centrifugal, centripetal, electromagnetic, electromotive, gravitational, mechanical, nuclear, physical, tidal
VERB + FORCE
apply, exert, generate, produce

The sun exerts a force on the earth.

increase
decrease, reduce
balance

The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.

FORCE + VERB
act on sth

lateral forces acting on the car's suspension

balance sth
FORCE + NOUN
field

the force field of a magnet

PREPOSITION
force between

the attractive and repulsive forces between individual particles

PHRASES
a balance of forces

the balance of nuclear forces in atoms

the force of gravity
3 legal authority of sth
ADJECTIVE
binding, legal, statutory (BrE)

The contract was not signed and has no binding force.

VERB + FORCE
come into

The new law comes into force as from midnight tomorrow.

bring sth into (esp. BrE)
PREPOSITION
in force

Some archaic laws are still in force.

PHRASES
the force of law

Professional standards often do not have the force of law (= cannot be enforced).

4 sb/sth with power/influence
ADJECTIVE
considerable, formidable, great, irresistible, major, overwhelming, potent, powerful, significant, strong, unstoppable
active, controlling, dominant, driving, main, moving
motivating
persuasive
constructive, creative, dynamic, positive, progressive
destructive, disruptive, negative

She was seen as a potentially disruptive force within the party.

cohesive, unifying
competitive, conflicting, countervailing, opposing, reactionary
internal
external, international, outside

The play portrays a marriage torn apart by external forces.

invisible, unseen
natural

powerful natural forces such as earthquakes and drought

spiritual, supernatural
dark, demonic, evil, malevolent

‘There are dark forces in the universe,’ he raved, ‘and we are powerless against them!’

cultural, economic, intellectual, market, moral, political, productive, revolutionary, social

powerful social and economic forces

VERB + FORCE
remain

Though officially retired, she remains the creative force behind the design business.

balance

This is a politician who does not like to balance market forces.

fight

to fight the forces of evil

PREPOSITION
force behind

Local parents were the driving force behind the project.

force for

Competition is a force for change in industry.

PHRASES
a balance of forces

shifts in the balance of political forces in Europe

a force to be reckoned with

With its new players, the team is now very much a force to be reckoned with.

the forces of nature
5 group of people trained for a particular purpose
ADJECTIVE
large
small, token

a token force of only 300 men

100-strong, etc.
superior
crack, elite, special

These elite forces are the best equipped and trained in the world.

combined, joint

the combined forces of MI5 and Scotland Yard

a joint task force

allied, coalition, multinational
strategic
labour/labor, sales, work (usually workforce)

the US labour/labor force

the company's sales force

armed, armoured/armored, military, paramilitary
government, loyal
enemy, guerrilla, hostile, occupation, occupying, opposition, rebel

He called on the local population to rise up against the occupying forces.

friendly
regular
reserve
all-volunteer, volunteer
conventional
nuclear
assault, combat, defence/defense, expeditionary, fighting, invasion, peace, peacekeeping, police, security, strike (See also task force.)
air, airborne, amphibious, ground, land, naval
VERB + FORCE
assemble, create, form, mobilize, set up

A large expeditionary force is now being assembled.

send

the decision to send armed forces over the border

provide
deploy, employ, use

A small peacekeeping force will be deployed in the area.

withdraw
command, head, head up, lead
join

She decided to join the armed forces.

train
support

More troops have been called in to support the coalition forces there.

combine, join

The two companies have joined forces to form a new consortium.

FORCE + VERB
control sth

Rebel forces now control most of the capital.

operate

UN forces operating in the region

PREPOSITION
in a/the force

people in the security forces

PHRASES
a member of a force, the withdrawal of a force

a deadline for the withdrawal of forces

{{Roman}}II.{{/Roman}}
verb
Force is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑circumstance, ↑necessity
Force is used with these nouns as the object: ↑cancellation, ↑change, ↑closure, ↑confession, ↑confrontation, ↑corner, ↑draw, ↑employer, ↑entry, ↑grin, ↑laugh, ↑lock, ↑passage, ↑postponement, ↑reappraisal, ↑referendum, ↑removal, ↑replay, ↑resignation, ↑retirement, ↑showdown, ↑smile, ↑way, ↑window

Collocations dictionary. 2013.

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  • force — [ fɔrs ] n. f. • 1080; bas lat. fortia, plur. neutre substantivé de fortis → 1. fort; forcer I ♦ La force de qqn. 1 ♦ Puissance d action physique (d un être, d un organe). Force physique; force musculaire. ⇒ résistance, robustesse, vigueur. Force …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • forcé — force [ fɔrs ] n. f. • 1080; bas lat. fortia, plur. neutre substantivé de fortis → 1. fort; forcer I ♦ La force de qqn. 1 ♦ Puissance d action physique (d un être, d un organe). Force physique; force musculaire. ⇒ résistance, robustesse, vigueur …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • force — Force, Vis, Neruositas, Fortitudo, Virtus. Il se prend quelquesfois pour le dessus d une entreprinse ou affaire, comme, Il combatit si vaillamment que la force fut sienne, c est à dire, que le dessus du combat et la victoire fut à luy. Item,… …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • force — 1 n 1: a cause of motion, activity, or change intervening force: a force that acts after another s negligent act or omission has occurred and that causes injury to another: intervening cause at cause irresistible force: an unforeseeable event esp …   Law dictionary

  • force — Force. subst. fem. Vigueur, faculté naturelle d agir vigoureusement. Il se dit proprement du corps. Force naturelle. grande force. force extraordinaire. force de corps. force de bras, la force consiste dans les nerfs. frapper de toute sa force, y …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Force — Force, n. [F. force, LL. forcia, fortia, fr. L. fortis strong. See {Fort}, n.] 1. Capacity of exercising an influence or producing an effect; strength or energy of body or mind; active power; vigor; might; often, an unusual degree of strength or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • forcé — forcé, ée (for sé, sée) part. passé de forcer. 1°   À quoi on a fait violence, qu on a tordu, brisé avec violence. Un coffre forcé. Une serrure forcée. •   Ils [les Juifs] répandirent dans le monde que le sépulcre [de Jésus] avait été forcé ;… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • force — n 1 *power, energy, strength, might, puissance Analogous words: *stress, strain, pressure, tension: *speed, velocity, momentum, impetus, headway 2 Force, violence, compulsion, coercion, duress, constraint, restraint denote the exercise or the… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • force — [fôrs, fōrs] n. [ME < OFr < VL * fortia, * forcia < L fortis, strong: see FORT1] 1. strength; energy; vigor; power 2. the intensity of power; impetus [the force of a blow] 3. a) physical power or strength exerted against a person or… …   English World dictionary

  • Force — Force, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Forced}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Forcing}.] [OF. forcier, F. forcer, fr. LL. forciare, fortiare. See {Force}, n.] 1. To constrain to do or to forbear, by the exertion of a power not resistible; to compel by physical, moral,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • force — ► NOUN 1) physical strength or energy as an attribute of action or movement. 2) Physics an influence tending to change the motion of a body or produce motion or stress in a stationary body. 3) coercion backed by the use or threat of violence. 4)… …   English terms dictionary

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