Legal Definitions - vis absoluta

Vis absoluta (vis ab-sə-loo-tə). It means physical compulsion. It is a situation where a person is forced to do something against their will due to physical force or threat of physical force. For example, if someone points a gun at you and forces you to give them your wallet, that is an example of vis absoluta.

It is different from vis compulsiva, which is when a person is compelled to do something due to their will being overpowered by external factors, such as mental illness or drugs.

Overall, vis absoluta refers to a situation where a person has no choice but to act in a certain way due to physical force or threat of physical force.