duress Definition
du·ress (do̵o res′, dyo̵o-)
noun
- imprisonment
- the use of force or threats; compulsion a confession signed under duress
Etymology: ME dures < OFr durece < L duritia, hardness, harshness < durus, hard < IE base *deru-, tree, oak (orig. ? hard) > tree
duress Synonyms
duress Law Definition
n
The application of force, or
the threat of force, to compel another to act against his or her will. Used as
a defense in criminal and contractual matters, for example, that a defendant
participated in a crime because held at gunpoint, or signed a contract only
under the threat of physical harm. See also economic
duress.
duress Usage Examples
Preposition: of
circumstance: Recently courts have started to recognize a defense of duress of circumstances that would achieve many of the same results.
Converse of subject
procure: A party, therefore, who could not offer the other party substantial restitutio in integrum could not avoid a contract procured by duress.
Adjective modifier
- extreme: Audition: the act of putting oneself under extreme duress to satisfy the sadistic intentions of someone who has already made up his mind.
- economic: Under economic duress, occupational distinctions between the two have tended to disappear.
- great: This can be explained by the fact that Britain was laboring under great economic duress, in contrast to the United States.
- mistaken: Quite rightly this was said to be a misdirection, as otherwise there would be no scope for pleas of mistaken duress at all.
- severe: Lev's Mobile I have finally been forced ( under severe duress ) into the ugly world of mobile phone ownership.
- legal: Only some of these messages need be divulged under legal duress, the other messages will be plausibly deniable.
Modifies a noun
defense: At trial, the judge put four questions to the jury concerning the duress defense ( para.
Browse dictionary entries near duress
- ‹ durbar
- ‹ Durban
- ‹ duration
- ‹ Durant,WilliamJames
- ‹ Durango
- ‹ durance
- ‹ duramen
- ‹ duralumin
- ‹ dural
- ‹ durable-press
- Durgapur ›
- Durham ›
- durian ›
- during ›
- Durkheim ›
- Durkheim, EŁ mile ›
- Durkheim, EŁ mile ›
- durmast ›
- durn ›
- duro ›

