Noun: compulsion kum'púl-shun
- An urge to do or say something that might be better left undone or unsaid
"he felt a compulsion to babble on about the accident";
- irresistible impulse
- An irrational motive for performing trivial or repetitive actions, even against your will
"her compulsion to wash her hands repeatedly";
- obsession
- Using force to cause something to occur
"though pressed into rugby under compulsion I began to enjoy the game";
- coercion
Derived forms: compulsions
Type of: causation, irrational impulse, irrational motive
Encyclopedia: Compulsion