noun
yes or no; agreement or refusal
Almost always used in the adverbial phrase 否応なく (inevitably, whether one likes it or not). The standalone noun use is rare.
See also: 否応なく
否応なくその計画に参加させられた。
I was forced to join the plan whether I liked it or not.
彼は否応なく責任を取らされた。
He was made to take responsibility without any choice.
Synonymous adverbial form meaning 'without asking yes or no'; interchangeable with 否応なく.
Compound of 否 (いや, 'no, refusal') and 応 (おう, 'yes, agreement'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used since at least the Edo period.