Coercion is when someone makes you do something you do not want to do, by threats or hard orders — not by asking, and not by leaving you a real choice. The threat can be open ("Do this or I will hurt you") or quieter ("Do this or you lose the job / the place at school"). Governments, police, bosses, and sometimes families can use coercion; it can be physical, or it can be fear of what will happen next.

Coercion is when someone makes you do something you do not want to do, by threats or hard orderscoercion是指有人用威脅或強硬的命令，逼你做你不想做的事——not by asking不是用請求的方式, and not by leaving you a real choice也不給你真正的選擇餘地。The threat can be open ("Do this or I will hurt you")威脅可以是明講的，像"Do this or I will hurt you"，or quieter ("Do this or you lose the job / the place at school")也可以是比較含蓄的，像"Do this or you lose the job / the place at school"。Governments, police, bosses, and sometimes families can use coercion政府、警察、老闆，有時候連家人都可能使用coercion; it can be physical, or it can be fear of what will happen next它可以是實際的暴力，也可以只是對接下來會發生什麼事的恐懼。

It is a formal word. In ordinary talk people usually say force, push, or make someone. You will meet coercion in news, law, and school essays.

It is a formal word這是一個正式的字。In ordinary talk在一般口語裡 people usually say force, push, or make someone大家通常會說force、push，或make someone。You will meet coercion in news, law, and school essays你會在新聞、法律，還有學校作文裡遇到coercion這個字。

Though actually, writers stretch it: some call heavy social pressure or a very strong sales pitch "coercion" even when nobody is breaking the law. Other people keep the word for real threats. So look at how strong the pressure is, and whether the person could still say no.

Though actually不過話說回來, writers stretch it有些作者會把這個字用得比較寬鬆: some call heavy social pressure or a very strong sales pitch "coercion" even when nobody is breaking the law有人會把很強的社會壓力，或非常強硬的推銷手法也叫做"coercion"，即使沒有人違法。Other people keep the word for real threats也有人堅持只把這個字用在真正的威脅上。So look at how strong the pressure is所以要看壓力有多強, and whether the person could still say no以及當事人是不是還能說不。