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

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

From BBC

Fittingly, “The Thinker” has been moved to a prominent spot by the new pedestrian entrance, where everyone can see it — and take an obligatory selfie — on their way to the front doors.

From Los Angeles Times

Some might read clues about a person’s politics during the obligatory family visits.

From Salon

Misogyny: This is the flip side of obligatory machismo, whereby women are not equal to men; their only value lies in conceiving and nurturing the chosen race.

From Salon

I didn’t find hope or inspiration within these pages — the book felt more like an obligatory postmortem with an already established conclusion.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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