WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
de•force
(di fôrs′, -fōrs′),USA pronunciation v.t., -forced, -forc•ing. [Law.]
de•force′ment, n.
de•forc′er, n.
- Lawto withhold (property, esp. land) by force or violence, as from the rightful owner.
- Lawto eject or evict by force.
- Anglo-French deforcer, Old French de(s)forcier, equivalent. to de(s)- de- + forc(i)er to force
- Middle English 1250–1300
de•forc′er, n.
'deforce' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):