S. L. A. Marshall
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Duress: Its Origin and Relations
Duress is most often paired with the word under to refer to force or threats meant to make someone do something. For example, someone forced to sign a document signs it “under duress,” and a person held “under duress” is not free to leave but is being constrained, usually unlawfully. (Do not confuse being “under duress” with being “under stress,” which is a much more common occurrence.) Duress is ultimately from Latin durus, meaning "hard," source too of durable and endure.
Synonyms
Examples of duress in a Sentence
Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2024
Provenance issues play significantly different roles in two major restitution initiatives in the US, one relating to Nazi theft and acquisition of art under duress, the other concerning Native American human remains and cultural heritage.
—Patricia Failing, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2024
Love was under duress and threw up a prayer for Doubs, who had one-on-one coverage from cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
The two-shows-to-one change on Broadway, though, was done somewhat under duress, within the context of the pandemic.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 13 Sep. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Duress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/duress. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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duress
noun
Legal Definition
duress
noun
Note: A person may be able to avoid the consequences of his or her acts under the law if they were performed while under duress. For example, a contract made under duress is voidable by the coerced party. Similarly, a will signed under duress is invalid. Duress may also be used to justify a criminal act.
Anglo-French duresce, literally, hardness, harshness, from Old French, from Latin duritia, from durus hard
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