to drive or urge forward; press on; incite or constrain to action.
2.
to drive or cause to move onward; propel; impart motion to.
Origin
1375-1425;late Middle Englishimpellen < Latinimpellere to strike against, set in motion (transitive), equivalent to im-im-1 + pellere to strike, move (something); akin to pulse1
Moreover, our brains impel us not only toward vices, but also toward virtues.
We asked what would impel such different approaches leading to the same credible character.
Maybe it was the moral laziness and social coziness that impel elites to protect their own.
Good cause is that which would reasonably impel the average able-bodied, qualified worker to give up her employment.
Parole is a matter of grace, not right, to be granted or withheld as sound official discretion may impel.
British Dictionary definitions for impel
impel
/ɪmˈpɛl/
verb (transitive) -pels, -pelling, -pelled
1.
to urge or force (a person) to an action; constrain or motivate
2.
to push, drive, or force into motion
Derived Forms
impellent, noun, adjective
Word Origin
C15: from Latin impellere to push against, drive forward, from im- (in) + pellere to drive, push, strike
Word Origin and History for impel
v.
early 15c., from Latin impellere "to push, strike against, drive forward, urge on," from assimilated form of in- "into, in, on, upon" (see in- (2)) + pellere "to push, drive" (see pulse (n.1)). Related: Impelled; impelling.