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Etymology data from Wiktionary via Wiktextract (CC BY-SA 4.0). Chinese character data from the 說文解字, the Taiwan MOE 國語辭典簡編本 (CC BY-ND 3.0 TW) and HSK/TOCFL lists.

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English

force

/fɔːs/
Ability to influence; strength or energy of body or mind; active power; vigour; might; capacity of exercising an influence or producing an effect.

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    Origin

    Etymology 1

    From Middle English force, fors, forse, from Old French force, from Late Latin fortia, a noun derived from the neuter plural of Latin fortis (“strong”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (“to rise, high, hill”).

    Etymology 2

    From Middle English forcen, from Old French forcier, from Late Latin *fortiāre, from Latin fortia.

    Etymology 3

    From Middle English force, forz, fors, from Old Norse fors (“waterfall”), from Proto-Germanic *fursaz (“waterfall”). Cognate with Icelandic foss (“waterfall”), Norwegian foss (“waterfall”), Swedish fors (“waterfall”). Doublet of foss.

    Etymology 4

    From Middle English forcen, forsen, a use of force, with confusion of farce (“to stuff”).

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • rootProto-Indo-European*bʰerǵʰ- “to rise, high, hill”
    • inheritedMiddle Englishforce
      • derivedOld Frenchforce
        • derivedLate Latinfortia
          • derivedLatinfortis “strong”
      • derivedOld Norsefors “waterfall”
        • derivedProto-Germanic*fursaz “waterfall”
    • inheritedMiddle Englishforcen
      • derivedOld Frenchforcier
        • derivedLate Latin*fortio
          • derivedLatinfortia

    Related: English foss (doublet), Icelandic foss, Norwegian foss, Swedish fors

    Meanings

    noun
    1. Ability to influence; strength or energy of body or mind; active power; vigour; might; capacity of exercising an influence or producing an effect.
    2. The generalized abstraction of this concept.
    3. A particular form or type of force.
    4. A metaphysical and ubiquitous power from the fictional Star Wars universe created by George Lucas. See usage note.
    5. An instance of a physical force.
    6. Force understood as something of which there can be an amount.
    verb
    1. To make someone or something do something, often regardless of their will.
    2. To constrain by force; to overcome the limitations or resistance of.
    3. To drive (something) by force, to propel (generally + prepositional phrase or adverb).
    4. To cause to occur (despite inertia, resistance etc.); to produce through force.
    5. To forcibly open (a door, lock etc.).
    6. To violate (a woman); to rape.

    Sources

    • Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
    • Wiktionary: force