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Origin and history of compelling

compelling(adj.)

c. 1600, "that compels," present-participle adjective from compel. Meaning "demanding attention" is from 1901. Related: Compellingly.

also from c. 1600

Entries linking to compelling

compel(v.)

"to drive or urge irresistibly by physical or moral force," mid-14c., from Old French compellir and directly from Latin compellere "to drive together, drive to one place" (of cattle), "to force or compel" (of persons), from com "with, together" (see com-) + pellere "to drive" (from PIE root *pel- (5) "to thrust, strike, drive"). Related: Compelled; compelling.

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    cogent
    "compelling assent or conviction," 1650s, from French cogent "necessary, urgent" (14c.), from Latin cogentem (nominative...
    collection
    Meaning "act of receiving or compelling payment of money owed" is from 1650s....
    querulous
    notion of "to sigh," from a PIE root *kues- "to hiss" (source also of Sanskrit svasiti "to hiss, snort"), which is not very compelling...
    necessary
    cannot be otherwise; not voluntary or governed by chance or free will," from Old French necessaire "necessary, urgent, compelling...
    stirp
    that it "Has been compared with Lith. stirpti 'to grow up, grow high', sterptis 'to stiffen', which is a possible but not compelling...
    pregnant
    ["convincing, weighty, pithy, full of meaning"] late 14c., "cogent, convincing, compelling" (of evidence, an argument, etc...
    capillary
    hair" (of the head); perhaps related to caput "head" (but de Vaan finds this "difficult on the formal side" and "far from compelling...
    apply
    late 14c., "join or combine (with); attach (to something), adhere," from Old French aploiier "apply, use, attach" (12c., Modern French appliquer), from Latin applicare "attach to, join, connect;" figuratively, "devote (oneself) to, give attention," from ad "to" (see ad-) + plicar
    make
    Old English macian "to give being to, give form or character to, bring into existence; construct, do, be the author of, produce; prepare, arrange, cause; behave, fare, transform," from West Germanic *makōjanan "to fashion, fit" (source also of Old Saxon makon, Old Frisian makia "
    squeeze
    c. 1600, "press forcibly" (transitive), perhaps an alteration of quease (Middle English quisen), from Old English cwysan "to squeeze," a word of unknown origin, perhaps imitative (compare German quetschen "to squeeze"). It perhaps also has been altered by influence of many words

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