Forcible

a. Also 6–8 forceable, 8 forciable. [a. OF. forcible, f. force FORCE sb. The form forceable is as if f. FORCE + -ABLE.]

  1.  Done by force; involving the use of force or violence; esp. in Law, Forcible detainer, entry (see quot. 1769).

  α.  [1391.  Act 15 Rich. II., c. 2. A toutz les foitz que tielx forcibles entrees soient faitz.]

c. 1422.  Hoccleve, Learn to die, Joys Heaven. For the kyngdam of heuene souffrith forcible and mighty assautes of vertu.

1527.  Rastell, Abridgm. Stat., 96. Them that make forcyble entre in beneficis or offyces of holi church.

1555.  Eden, Decades (Arb.), 303. Wheras the Danes by this occasion had no further trust or ayde in the loue of the people, they prouided for th[e] indempnitie of theyr owne estate by forcible extenuatinge the gooddes and poure of them whom they desired to kepe in subiection.

1651.  Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxi. 113. That Liberty of Forcible Entry, was taken away by a Statute made (by the King) in Parliament.

1667.  Milton, P. L., II. 793.

1767.  Blackstone, Comm., II. 390. The stealing, or forcible abduction, of such property as this, is also felony. Ibid. (1769), IV. xi. 147. A forcible entry or detainer; which is committed by violently taking or keeping possession, with menaces, force, and arms, of lands and tenements, without the authority of law.

1816.  J. Scott, Vis. Paris (ed. 5), Preface, p. xlvi. Davoust contradicts in the Chamber the repart that a forcible dissolution of it was intended.

1837.  Adolphus & Ellis, in Rep. K. Bench Div., III. 817. A conviction of forcible detainer dated September 3d, 1834, alleging an entry.

1844.  H. H. Wilson, Brit. India, II. 316. To compel, by forcible means, where force was requisite, submission to the authority which was to be substituted, absolutely and for ever, for that of the Peshwa.

1868.  Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), II. vii. 152. His [Harold’s] high spirit chafed under his wrongs, and he determined from the first on a forcible return to his country, even, if need be, by the help of a foreign force.

  β.  1548.  Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. Luke, v. 19. The shame of forceable breakyng into this or that mannes house, coulde kepe theim from hym.

1683.  Salmon, Doron Med., I. 50. Such things as strengthen it, do it either by Similitude or by Attraction, which is a forceable drawing away of what offends.

1688.  Col. Rec. Pennsylv., I. 236. Praying relief against a forceable Entry and Deteiner.

  2.  Possessing force. † a. Of persons, material things, natural agencies, etc.: Strong, powerful.

  α.  1555.  Eden, Decades (Arb.), 311. The pylot of the caruell that was fyrste dryuen by forcyble wynde to an vnknowen lande in the Weste Ocean, cauled the fame India bycause the Portugales so cauled such landes as they had lately discouered Eastwarde.

1555.  Abp. Parker, Ps. cx. 5.

1578.  J. Banister, The Historie of Man, III. 42. In the inside of the wrest, is a forcible Ligament.

1614.  Raleigh, Hist. World, V. vi. § 11. The better to answer all argument to the contrary, he prepared a forcible armie to attend him.

1677.  Hale, The Primitive Origination of Mankind, I. i. 29. The executive Instrument of this command mediately are my Nerves and Muscles, but immediately those subtil, invisible and forcible Engins which we call the Animal Spirits.

1700.  Prior, Carmen Sec., 419. Like mingled Streams, more forcible, when join’d.

1802.  Bingley, Anim. Biog. (1813), III. 70. Indeed, so thick and so forcible was the shoal, as to carry before it every other kind of fish.

  β.  1561.  T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., II. 158. In the worlde the prosperous & desired state of the people is partly mainteyned by plentie of good thinges and peace at home, and partely by strong forceable defenses, wherby it maie be safe against outward violence.

a. 1618.  Raleigh, Prerog. Parl. (1628), 19. The Lords vrged his banishment the second time, but neither was the first, nor second banishment forced by act of Parliament, but by the forceable Lords his enemies.

1634–5.  Brereton, Trav. (Chetham Soc.), 54. The wind turned and was so forceable as it repelled the waters, and laid much of the country dry.

  † b.  followed by to with inf. Obs.

  α.  1554.  Hooker, Eccl. Pol., III. x. § 3. That punishment, which hath bene sometimes forcible to bridle sinne, may grow afterwards too weak and feebled.

1601.  R. Johnson, Relations of the Most Famous Kingdoms, etc. (1616), 327. As the Arabians, so they, delight in sower milke, or Cosmus, a kind of churned sower Mares-milke, verie forcible to turne the braine.

1658.  Whole Duty Man, x. § 8. 80. There being generally nothing more forcible to bring Men into any sinful practice, than the seeing it used by others, as might be instanced in many sins, to which there is no other temptation, but there being in fashion.

  β.  1576.  A. Fleming, A Panoplie of Epistles, 34. Which reasons of his, are verie forceable to make him yeald to the foresaide matter in question.

a. 1641.  Bp. Mountagu, Acts & Mon., iii. § 84 (1642), 222. Nothing is more forceable to convince all forrainers, that contest against religion, or to confirme such as be of our Profession, if they understand aright, then to vouch the predictions of our Saviour, which remaine upon Record in Jewish writings.

1710.  T. Fuller, Pharm. Extemp., 349. These [Womens Pills] are forceable to bring the necessary Pains in Child-Birth, to expel the After-Birth when left behind, and increase the Cleanings.

  c.  Of actions, words, representations: Producing a powerful effect, telling. Of reasoning: Having logical force, strong, convincing.

  α.  1573.  G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (Camden), 47. So forcible an antecedent it was most likeli there wuld follow as effectual a consequent.

1594.  T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., II. 527. But that argument of all others is most forcible, which hee hath giuen vnto vs in the resurrection of Iesus Christ, whereby his soule was vnited againe vnto his body.

1729.  Butler, Serm., Wks. 1874, II. 39. We may observe somewhat very forcible and expressive in these words of St. James.

1790.  Burke, Fr. Rev., 105. Yielding to reasons, at least as forcible as those which were so delicately urged in the compliment on the new year, the king of France will probably endeavour to forget these events, and that compliment.

1865.  Dickens, Mut. Fr., I. vi. With the natural need of a strong rough man in anger to do something forcible, he now clutched his knife overhand and struck downward with it at the end of every succeeding sentence.

1874.  L. Stephen, Hours in Library (1892), I. i. 13. One man sees everything in the forcible light and shade of Rembrandt: a few heroes stand out conspicuously in a focus of brilliancy from a background of imperfectly defined shadows, clustering round the centre in strange but picturesque confusion.

1884.  Church, Bacon, ix. 223. His Latin, without enslaving itself to Ciceronian types, and with a free infusion of barbarous but most convenient words from the vast and ingenious terminology of the schoolmen, is singularly forcible and expressive.

  β.  1570–6.  Lambarde, A Perambulation of Kent (1826), 483. Against which assertion, that which is saide 10. H. 3. … is not greatly forceable.

1612.  T. Taylor, Comm. Titus ii. 14 (1658). In this verse our Apostle useth another forceable argument, to urge the denial of unrighteousness, and practice of the former vertues of sobriety, justice, and piety.

1738.  Warburton, Div. Legat., I. 54. In Beasts, the Instinct is invincibly forceable, as it is the sole Spring of Action.

  d.  Hence of an author, painter, etc.

1787.  G. Gregory, trans. Lowth’s Sacred Poetry Hebrews, II. xxi. He [Isaiah] is at once elegant and sublime, forcible and ornamented; he unites energy with copiousness, and dignity with variety.

1791.  Burke, Lett. to Sir H. Langrishe, Wks. 1842, I. 560. I might have been more forcible and more clear, if I had not been interrupted as I have been.

1828.  D’Israeli, Chas. I., II. xi. 286. Hampden lives in the unfading colours of the most forcible of portrait-painters, the majestic Clarendon.

  † 3.  Necessary, unavoidable, indispensable. Obs.

1622.  R. Hawkins, Voy. S. Sea (1847), 116. Our forcible businesse being ended.

1574.  Hellowes, Gueuara’s Fam. Ep. (1577), 70. Your lordship ought to admonish your armies, that in their forcible and necessary perilles, they shew not themselues to be menns dismayed: for the warres be of suche qualities that the feare of some dismayeth the rest.

  † 4.  ‘Valid, binding, obligatory’ (J.). Obs.

1584.  Fenner, Def. Ministers (1587), 149. The Lawe was enacted, and stoode forceable.

  5.  quasi-adv. = FORCIBLY.

  α.  1582.  N. Lichefield, trans. Castanheda’s Conq. E. Ind., iii. 8 b. Sea Woulfes, which are as large in bignes as great Beares, they be terrible, hauing great and long teeth, also so wilde and fierce, that they do forcible set vpon men.

1601.  Holland, Pliny, II. 621. Verily this purple colour is pleasing to the eie, neither doth it strike or pierce the sight so forcible as the Rubies do.

1719.  De Foe, Crusoe, I. xi. According as the wind blew more forcible from the west, or from the north, this current came near, or went farther from the shore.

  β.  1598.  Manwood, Lawes Forest, i. § 3. 6. The more forceable to shew the same, there is vsed this woord (replenished) comming of the verbe Repleo, which is to fill vp againe with new supply, so that still as the Couerts of the forrest be felled or cut downe, the forest must be replenished with couerts.

  Hence Forcibleness.

1563.  W. Fulke, Meteors (1640), 24. The smal or little Thunder is when the Exhalation is driven from side to side of that cloud making a noise, and either for the smal quantitie & lesse forcibles [? a misprint; or perh. for *forciblesse].

1581.  Sidney, Apol. Poetrie (Arb.), 67–8. They feele those passions, which easily (as I think) may be bewrayed, by that same forciblenes, Energia, (as the Greekes cal it) of the writer.

a. 1652.  J. Smith, Sel. Disc., vi. (1673), 201. Such a thing is the Prophetical Spirit, by reason of the strength of its impression and the forcibleness of its operation upon the heart of the Prophet.

1890.  Talmage, From Manger to Throne, x. 244. Though using different expressions, we may regard the testimony of the three gospel writers as the same, the employment of the word drove instead of led being illustrative of Mark’s greater enthusiasm and forcibleness of statement.