diff --git a/Help/release/dev/deprecate-CMakeForceCompiler.rst b/Help/release/dev/deprecate-CMakeForceCompiler.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dc6e817b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Help/release/dev/deprecate-CMakeForceCompiler.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+deprecate-CMakeForceCompiler
+----------------------------
+
+* The :module:`CMakeForceCompiler` module and its macros are now deprecated.
+  See module documentation for an explanation.
diff --git a/Modules/CMakeForceCompiler.cmake b/Modules/CMakeForceCompiler.cmake
index 1d8b11018..343ab3fe9 100644
--- a/Modules/CMakeForceCompiler.cmake
+++ b/Modules/CMakeForceCompiler.cmake
@@ -2,11 +2,17 @@
 # CMakeForceCompiler
 # ------------------
 #
+# Deprecated.  Do not use.
 #
+# The macros provided by this module were once intended for use by
+# cross-compiling toolchain files when CMake was not able to automatically
+# detect the compiler identification.  Since the introduction of this module,
+# CMake's compiler identification capabilities have improved and can now be
+# taught to recognize any compiler.  Furthermore, the suite of information
+# CMake detects from a compiler is now too extensive to be provided by
+# toolchain files using these macros.
 #
-# This module defines macros intended for use by cross-compiling
-# toolchain files when CMake is not able to automatically detect the
-# compiler identification.
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
 # Macro CMAKE_FORCE_C_COMPILER has the following signature:
 #
@@ -64,6 +70,8 @@
 #  License text for the above reference.)
 
 macro(CMAKE_FORCE_C_COMPILER compiler id)
+  message(DEPRECATION "The CMAKE_FORCE_C_COMPILER macro is deprecated.  "
+    "Instead just set CMAKE_C_COMPILER and allow CMake to identify the compiler.")
   set(CMAKE_C_COMPILER "${compiler}")
   set(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID_RUN TRUE)
   set(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID ${id})
@@ -76,6 +84,8 @@ macro(CMAKE_FORCE_C_COMPILER compiler id)
 endmacro()
 
 macro(CMAKE_FORCE_CXX_COMPILER compiler id)
+  message(DEPRECATION "The CMAKE_FORCE_CXX_COMPILER macro is deprecated.  "
+    "Instead just set CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER and allow CMake to identify the compiler.")
   set(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER "${compiler}")
   set(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID_RUN TRUE)
   set(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID ${id})
@@ -88,6 +98,8 @@ macro(CMAKE_FORCE_CXX_COMPILER compiler id)
 endmacro()
 
 macro(CMAKE_FORCE_Fortran_COMPILER compiler id)
+  message(DEPRECATION "The CMAKE_FORCE_Fortran_COMPILER macro is deprecated.  "
+    "Instead just set CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER and allow CMake to identify the compiler.")
   set(CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER "${compiler}")
   set(CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID_RUN TRUE)
   set(CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID ${id})