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duress

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Duress is defined as making someone do something against his will, or making someone perform an illegal act, by using threats, coercion or other illicit means.

(noun)

An example of duress is when you torture a prisoner until he confesses.

See duress in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

imprisonment
the use of force or threats; compulsion: a confession signed under duress

Origin: ME dures < OFr durece < L duritia, hardness, harshness < durus, hard < IE base *deru-, tree, oak (orig. ? hard) > tree

See duress in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

Constraint by threat; coercion: confessed under duress.
Law
a. Coercion illegally applied.
b. Forcible confinement.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English duresse, harshness, compulsion

Origin: , from Old French durece, hardness

Origin: , from Latin dūritia

Origin: , from dūrus, hard; see deru- in Indo-European roots

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