obligatory

American  

[uh-blig-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, ob-li-guh-] / əˈblɪg əˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i, ˈɒb lɪ gə- /

adjective

1. required as a matter of obligation; mandatory.

   A reply is desirable but not obligatory.

2. incumbent or compulsory (usually followed by on orupon ).

   duties obligatory on all.

   Synonyms:

   imperative, necessary

   Antonyms:

   voluntary

3. imposing moral or legal obligation; binding.

   an obligatory promise.

4. creating or recording an obligation, as a document.

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obligatory British  

/ ɒˈblɪɡətərɪ, -trɪ /

adjective

1. required to be done, obtained, possessed, etc

2. of the nature of or constituting an obligation

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Other Word Forms

• nonobligatorily adverb
• nonobligatory adjective
• obligatorily adverb
• obligatoriness noun
• unobligatory adjective

Etymology

Origin of obligatory

1425–75; late Middle English < Late Latin obligātōrius binding, equivalent to Latin obligā ( re ) to bind ( obligate ) + -tōrius -tory ¹

Example Sentences

Alinejad is one of the most prominent dissident campaigners against Iranian authorities and for years has pushed for the abolition of the obligatory headscarf in Iran under the banner of "MyStealthyFreedom."

From Barron's

Mescal had done the usual “Romeo and Juliet” and “Macbeth” as a drama student, but he says it seemed obligatory for an aspiring actor to love Shakespeare.

From The Wall Street Journal

The ATP on Thursday announced a slight compromise with disgruntled players by reducing the number of obligatory tournaments they must play each year in an ever more packed schedule.

From Barron's

But this is optional, not obligatory — especially if your daughter has said that she is happy with the current plans for her bat mitzvah.

From MarketWatch

The Cecchettin Foundation wants them to be obligatory and start early, when young people get access to the internet.

From BBC

Related Words

• compulsory
• de rigueur
• imperative
• mandatory
• requisite
• unavoidable