English Dictionary
Definition of “duress”
duress (djʊˈrɛs
;djʊə-)
Definitions
noun
- compulsion by use of force or threat; constraint; coercion (often in the phrase under duress)
- law the illegal exercise of coercion
- confinement; imprisonment
Word Origin
C14: from Old French duresse, from Latin dūritia hardness, from dūrus hard
Usage examples
In the matter of the fathers simply because none of the girls, even under parental duress , would name the culprits.
Clive Barker, THE GREAT AND SECRET SHOW (2001)Many people might consider a retraction made by a person who claims to be under duress is not a genuine retraction.
British Medical Journal (2002)The Latrobe hospital will investigate the feasibility of installing a monitored duress alarm system.
The Mercury, Sunday Tasmanian (2004)Charges based on such material are vulnerable to a prima facie defence of duress.
Times, Sunday Times (2004)It is at this point, when the victim under duress participates in the sacrifice of others, that she is truly `broken.
Herman, Judith Lewis, Trauma and Recovery (1992)
