coercion / compulsion
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coercion
External or internal pressure that causes a person to do or refrain from doing something against their will.
Er handelte nicht freiwillig, sondern unter dem Zwang der Umstände.
He did not act voluntarily, but under the coercion of circumstances.
compulsion
In psychology, an inner urge to think or do certain things again and again, even though one recognizes it as pointless.
Sie leidet unter dem Zwang, ständig ihre Hände waschen zu müssen.
She suffers from the compulsion to constantly wash her hands.
The noun 'der Zwang' is closely related to the verb 'zwingen' (to force). When someone is forced to do something, they are 'unter Zwang' (under coercion).
Man darf niemanden zu einer Entscheidung zwingen.
One must not force anyone into a decision.
In the meaning 'Druck' (pressure), 'Zwang' is very often used with the preposition 'unter'. Typical formulations are 'unter Zwang handeln' (to act under coercion) or 'unter Zwang stehen' (to be under coercion/pressure).
Der Zeuge sagte aus, er habe unter Zwang gehandelt.
The witness testified that he had acted under coercion.
To describe a psychological compulsion, a construction with 'zu' + infinitive is often used. This describes exactly what the person feels compelled to do.
Er hat den Zwang, vor dem Schlafen alle Türen zu kontrollieren.
He has the compulsion to check all the doors before sleeping.
In a psychological context, 'Zwang' often forms compound nouns that describe the type of compulsion. Examples are 'Waschzwang' (washing compulsion), 'Kontrollzwang' (checking compulsion), or 'Ordnungszwang' (compulsion for order).
Sein Kontrollzwang macht das Zusammenleben sehr schwierig.
His checking compulsion makes living together very difficult.
pressure / printing
Druck and Zwang can both cause someone to do something against their will. Druck generally still leaves some room for a decision, while Zwang largely rules out or strongly restricts free choice. Use „Druck“ for strong influence and „Zwang“ for significantly stronger coercion.
Unter dem Zwang seines Chefs unterschrieb er den neuen Arbeitsplan gegen seinen Willen.
Under coercion from his boss, he signed the new work schedule against his will.
Unter dem Druck seines Chefs stimmte er dem neuen Arbeitsplan zu.
Under pressure from his boss, he agreed to the new work schedule.
