📒 violent physical action used to obtain or achieve something
- The release of the hostages could not be achieved without the use of force.
- If persuasion doesn't work, they use force.
- The government has relied on brute force to respond to public discontent.
📒 physical strength, especially as shown when something hits something else
- the force of the explosion/impact
- The shopping centre took the full force of the blast.
- You have to apply some force to move the lever.
📒 the strong effect or influence of something
- They realized the force of her argument.
- a leader who inspired others with the force of his personality
- by force of something He controlled himself by sheer force of will.
📒 a person or thing that has a lot of power or influence
- the forces of good/evil
- They believe that market forces should determine prices.
- Ron is the driving force (= the person who has the most influence) behind the project.
📒 the authority of something
- The court ruled that these standards have force in English law.
- The contract was not signed and has no binding force.
- the force of something These guidelines do not have the force of law.
📒 a group of people who have been organized for a particular purpose
- a member of the sales force
- She has attracted a force of passionate young individuals who are committed to the organization.
📒 a trained and organized group of police, soldiers or other military personnel
- Rebel forces now control most of the capital.
- Government forces captured the rebel positions.
- coalition/allied forces
📒 the army, navy and air force
- life in the forces
- Daisy intends to join the forces when she leaves school this summer.
📒 the weapons and soldiers that an army, etc. has, considered as things that may be used
- strategic nuclear forces.
- The government is negotiating cuts to nuclear forces.
📒 the police force
- He joined the force twenty years ago.
📒 an effect that causes things to move in a particular way
- The moon exerts a force on the earth.
- the force of gravity
- the sun's magnetic force
📒 a unit for measuring the strength of the wind on the Beaufort scale
- a force 9 gale
- a gale force wind
- The wind was increasing to gale force.
📒 to cause a law, rule, etc. to start being used
- They are hoping to bring the new legislation into force before the end of the year.
📒 to start being used
- When do the new regulations come into force?
- The new law comes into force as from midnight tomorrow.
📒 if you do something from or out of force of habit, you do it without thinking about it and in a particular way because you have always done it that way in the past
- It's force of habit that gets me out of bed at 6.15 each morning.
📒 a person with a very strong personality who is full of energy, very determined and difficult for others to resist
- Gerard is a force of nature, continually pursuing his target when everyone else is ready to give up.
📒 the power of the wind, rain, etc., especially when it causes damage or harm
- They were fighting a losing battle against the forces of nature.
📒 in large numbers
- Protesters turned out in force.
📒 being used
- The new regulations are now in force.
- Several archaic laws are still in force.
- Some laws relating to obsolete customs are still in force.
📒 to work together in order to achieve a shared aim
- The two firms joined forces to win the contract.
- The two companies have joined forces to form a new consortium.
📒 a person or group that no longer has any power or influence
- The opposition party is now a spent political force.