Forceful
adjectiveExpressing or done with strength, energy, or firm conviction.
How to spell forceful
8 letters · 2 syllables
How to pronounce forceful
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does forceful mean?
- adjectiveExpressing or done with strength, energy, or firm conviction.
Forceful in a sentence
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The manager made a forceful case for raising the budget.
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Her forceful delivery kept the whole boardroom listening.
Where does forceful come from?
Language of origin: Latin
This word is built on the noun 'force', which English took from Old French 'force' in the 1300s; that in turn traces back to the Latin 'fortis', meaning 'strong' or 'powerful'. The same Latin root gives us 'fort', 'fortify', and 'fortitude', all of which carry that core idea of strength. The suffix '-ful' is a native English element meaning 'full of' or 'marked by', the same ending found in 'powerful' and 'helpful'. Joined together, 'forceful' literally means 'full of force', and the sense has stayed close to that since the word was formed in English in the late 1500s. A useful spelling note: although it ends in '-ful', this suffix always takes a single 'l' when attached, never the double 'l' of the standalone word 'full'.
How the word is built
- force (from Latin fortis: strong)
- -ful (full of, characterised by)
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