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Pongy Posted 18 years ago
Vocabulary

The use of the word "perforce"

Hi, I have a question regarding the use of the word "perforce". I looked up in the dictionary.com and the meaning given was "of necessity; necessarily; by force of circumstance" and the example given was "The story must perforce be true."

I'm just curious about how to use it. For instance if I want to say that things enter my mind inevitably, can I just say "things must perforce enter my mind". To me it kinda sound a little strange.

Thanks in advance.
  

Top answer

Hi, I have a question regarding the use of the word "perforce". " I'm just curious about how to use it. For instance if I want to say that things enter my mind inevitably, can I just say "things must perforce enter my mind".

— Clive

  • Hi, I have a question regarding the use of the word "perforce".
  • " I'm just curious about how to use it.
  • For instance if I want to say that things enter my mind inevitably, can I just say "things must perforce enter my mind".
  • To me it kinda sound a little strange.
  • I wouldn't say that's wrong.
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3 Answers
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Hi,

I have a question regarding the use of the word "perforce". I looked up in the dictionary.com and the meaning given was "of necessity; necessarily; by force of circumstance" and the example given was "The story must perforce be true."

I'm just curious about how to use it. For instance if I want to say that things enter my mind inevitably, can I just say
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A rule of thumb might be that you would use "perforce" in a sentence where you could also use an italicised (i.e. stressed) "of necessity", e.g.

1. He must perforce be subject to restraint.

2. He must of necessity be subject to restraint.

— but not where "of necessity" had a simply declarative, non-emphatic sense.

I would only expect to find it in
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Oh dear...10 or 20 years?? How about 44 years?! I consider myself to be fairly well-read and I have neither seen nor heard this crazy word before my 7th grader asked me how he was supposed to use it in a sentence!!
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