を余儀なくさせる is a formal, written expression meaning "to force someone/something to do" or "to make something unavoidable." It conveys that an external cause compels a person or organization to take an action they would not have chosen voluntarily.
The structure is:
Subject（原因）が ＋ Person/Thing を ＋ Noun（action）＋ を余儀なくさせる
The noun before is typically a Sino-Japanese noun that represents an action (e.g. , , , ).
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The typhoon forced the residents to evacuate.
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The worsening business conditions forced the company to restructure.
を余儀なくさせる vs. を余儀なくされる
These two expressions are closely related but differ in perspective:
- を余儀なくさせる – focuses on the cause that forces the action (active/causative). The subject is the thing doing the forcing.
- を余儀なくされる – focuses on the person/thing affected (passive). The subject is the one being forced.
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The heavy rain forced the cancellation of the game.
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The game was forced to be cancelled.
Usage notes
- This expression is predominantly used in written language, such as news reports, academic writing, and formal announcements.
- The cause (subject) is often an impersonal force – natural disasters, economic conditions, political circumstances, etc.
- The action noun that precedes is almost always a formal noun of Chinese origin (漢語).
Lingaku