compellen

Middle English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French compellir.

Verb

compellen (third-person singular simple present compell, present participle compellynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle compelled)

1. to force, coerce (under duress)
2. to urge
3. to induce, compel (an action or event to occur)
4. (of laws or conventions) to obligate
5. to press upon (an enemy)
6. to take by force

Conjugation

Conjugation of compellen (weak in -ede)

infinitive	(to) compellen, compelle
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	compelle	compelled(e)
2nd-person singular	compellest	compelledest
3rd-person singular	compelleth	compelled(e)
subjunctive singular	compelle
imperative singular		—
plural1	compellen, compelle	compelleden, compelled(e)
imperative plural	compelleth, compelle	—
participles	compellynge, compellende	compelled, ycompelled

¹ Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Derived terms

• compellable
• compelling

Descendants

• English: compel

References

• “compellen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.