Word of the Day, June 16: 'Perforce'

Word of the Day: PERFORCE
Pronunciation: UK/pəˈfɔːs/ or US/pɚˈfɔːrs/

Meaning:

'Perforce' is an adverb that means 'by necessity; unavoidably

Examples for daily usage:

• If the bridge is closed, we must perforce take another route.
• She accepted the decision, perforce, because there was no alternative.

Origin and history:

The word 'perforce' originated in the 14th century from the Middle English phrase par force, which was borrowed directly from Anglo-French.

The word originally meant quite literally "by physical coercion". By the time of William Shakespeare, the meaning had begun to shift toward its modern definition, which implies doing something by necessity or "by force of circumstances".

Cultural significance and modern usage:

In its earliest English life, it literally meant "by physical coercion" or violence. This literal sense is famous in Shakespearean works, such as in The Comedy of Errors ("He rush'd into my house and took perforce my ring away").

By the 16th century, it shifted from physical force to its modern figurative meaning: being compelled by circumstances rather than physical violence.

Today, "Perforce" is regarded as extremely formal and literary. It is generally used in academic, critical, or poetic writing when the speaker or author wants to convey a sense of inevitability.

Interesting facts:

• The word 'perforce' has been part of English vocabulary since the Middle Ages.
• Historically, writers often paired 'must' with 'perforce', creating a double emphasis on inevitability:

Examples from literature:

1. To advocate placing such information in the public record, Strauss asserted, was perforce an act of disloyalty. – Big Science by Michael Hiltzik
2. Kit would not have risen from her place at all, but Rachel, with a meaningful nudge, handed her a candle, and she had perforce to see her suitor to the door. - The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
3. Mr Wickham’s happiness and her own were perforce delayed a little longer, and Mr Collins’s proposal was accepted with as good a grace as she could. - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
4. Only their middle names, which perforce became their given names, were their own.- In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

Synonyms:

• Inevitably
• Necessarily
• Needs
• Unavoidably
• Inescapably
• Involuntarily

Antonyms:

• Unnecessarily
• Possibly
• Optionally

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