Both Uses of
compel
in
Washington Square, by Henry James
- He closed with an intimation that his professional pursuits might compel him to travel for some months, and with the hope that when they should each have accommodated themselves to what was sternly involved in their respective positions—even should this result not be reached for years—they should meet as friends, as fellow-sufferers, as innocent but philosophic victims of a great social law.†
Chpt 31compel = force; or (more rarely) convince
- This was after John Ludlow had been compelled to give it up, though the Doctor had advised him to persevere.†
Chpt 32 *compelled = forced; or (more rarely) convinced
Definition:
to force someone to do something
or more rarely:
to convince someone to do something
or more rarely:
to convince someone to do something
Most typically, compel describes an external influence forcing someone to do something, but it can also describe being driven by an internal desire.