A situation where someone is threatened with a gun and forced to do something against their will.
A compound word combining 'gun' (from Old Norse 'gunnr' meaning 'war') with 'point' (from Latin 'punctum'). The phrase 'at gunpoint' emerged in the 19th century as firearms became more common.
The phrase 'at gunpoint' has become almost a cliché in crime stories and movies, but it represents a very real form of coercion that justice systems take seriously—actions done 'at gunpoint' are often treated differently legally because of the duress involved.
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