imperative

[ im-per-uh-tiv ]

adjective

1. absolutely necessary or required; unavoidable:

   It is imperative that we leave.

   Synonyms: compelling, exigent, essential, indispensable, inescapable

2. of the nature of or expressing a command; commanding.
3. Grammar. noting or pertaining to the mood of the verb used in commands, requests, etc., as in Listen! Go! Compare indicative ( def 2 ), subjunctive ( def 1 ).

noun

1. a command.
2. something that demands attention or action; an unavoidable obligation or requirement; necessity:

   It is an imperative that we help defend friendly nations.

3. Grammar.
   1. the imperative mood.
   2. a verb in this mood.
4. an obligatory statement, principle, or the like.

imperative

/ ɪmˈpɛrətɪv /

adjective

1. extremely urgent or important; essential
2. peremptory or authoritative

   an imperative tone of voice

3. Alsoimperativalɪmˌpɛrəˈtaɪvəl grammar denoting a mood of verbs used in giving orders, making requests, etc. In English the verb root without any inflections is the usual form, as for example leave in Leave me alone

noun

1. something that is urgent or essential
2. an order or command
3. grammar
   1. the imperative mood
   2. a verb in this mood

imperative

1. A grammatical category describing verbs that command or request: “ Leave town by tonight”; “Please hand me the spoon.”

Derived Forms

• imˈperatively, adverb
• imˈperativeness, noun

Other Words From

• im·pera·tive·ly adverb
• im·pera·tive·ness noun
• nonim·pera·tive adjective
• nonim·pera·tive·ly adverb
• nonim·pera·tive·ness noun
• unim·pera·tive adjective
• unim·pera·tive·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of imperative¹

First recorded in 1520–30; from Late Latin imperātivus, equivalent to Latin imperāt(us) “imposed,” past participle of imperāre “to impose, order, command” ( im- im- ¹ + -perāre, combining form of parāre “to set, get ready, produce, obtain”; prepare ) + -īvus -ive

Word History and Origins

Origin of imperative¹

C16: from Late Latin imperātīvus, from Latin imperāre to command

Example Sentences

Therefore, having the most comprehensive view of the search landscape and all its nuances is imperative to driving success and making the most informed decisions possible.

From Search Engine Watch

Reimagining community safety, defunding police, confronting the worst of what “law enforcement” does — these are not new moral imperatives.

From Washington Post

I love how they’re portrayed in the Locked Tomb and how imperative they are to the narrative.

From Vox

It is imperative that the previous Administration’s shortcomings are swiftly identified and rectified to save lives in the months before coronavirus vaccinations are available for all Americans.

From Time

There are many roots of distrust around Covid-19 vaccines, but it feels imperative to put them in the context of Pakistan’s recent history.

From Vox

Moreover, for America there is a fundamental imperative to act.

From The Daily Beast

For Reid, the imperative has to be confirming as many of the 34 district court nominees that are in the pipeline as possible.

From The Daily Beast

And that very same Roosevelt no doubt still believed it was imperative for us to make America “fairly radical for a generation.”

From The Daily Beast

Many lessons and commentaries are in the imperative voice, but not all.

From The Daily Beast

None of it has lessened my belief in Zionism or the imperative of Israel as a home and sanctuary for Jews.

From The Daily Beast

Her glance wandered from his face away toward the Gulf, whose sonorous murmur reached her like a loving but imperative entreaty.

From Project Gutenberg

Nature, ever buoyant and imperative, does her best to remedy the ills created by "Man's inhumanity to Man."

From Project Gutenberg

For it was mother Martha and not her daughter who had obeyed Mrs. Cecil's imperative: "Come here!"

From Project Gutenberg

Let nothing, but the most imperative duty, call you out upon your reception day.

From Project Gutenberg

Only an hour was given to St. Albans, much less than we had planned, but our late start made it imperative that we move onward.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• compulsory
• critical
• crucial
• essential
• immediate
• important
• indispensable
• inescapable
• obligatory
• pressing
• urgent
• vital

What Is An Imperative Sentence?

What is an imperative sentence?

An imperative sentence is a sentence used to give commands or instructions or make requests, as in Give me that. It usually begins with a verb or a verb phrase.

Imperative sentences often don’t have an apparent subject. Instead the subject is implied, usually the person who the speaker is giving the commands or instructions to. It is possible to include subjects in imperative sentences by addressing the person separately, as in Joe, hand me that wrench.

While imperative sentences often start with verbs, they can also begin with adverbs, as in Carefully move the sofa, or prepositional phrases, as in Without opening your eyes, count to ten.

Why is imperative sentence important?

The first records of the term imperative sentence come from at least 1737. The word imperative means “commanding” or “a command,” and imperative sentences are supposed to deliver commands, as well as polite requests and directions.

You can use certain adverbs or prepositional phrases to make your imperative sentences sound less rude or forceful, such as Please wash the dishes.

Imperative sentences can also be negative, asking or commanding someone to not to do something or warning them against it, as in Don’t walk there.

While many imperative sentences are short because they omit the subject and give urgent commands, they can be pretty long, as in Tiptoe past the angry sleeping bear while whistling the Canadian national anthem backwards and balancing a bowl of strawberry jelly on your head without spilling it. (We don’t recommend this as a way to escape a bear, sleeping or otherwise.)

Did you know … ?

The shortest grammatically correct sentence in the English language is an imperative sentence: “Go.” This two-letter sentence has an implied subject of “you.”

What are real-life examples of imperative sentence?

This list gives some more examples of imperative sentences:

Drive carefully.

Don’t poke me.

Wendy, turn off the television.

In ten words, tell me what happened.

Get out of here!

Students learn about imperative sentences early when studying grammar. People use imperative sentences everyday with varying levels of politeness.

Given the number of imperative sentences directed at them, my cats probably believe their names are Hey Don't.

— Joe Garden (@joegarden) February 11, 2014

my dad lives in exclusively imperative sentences

— vtuber burner acc (@lofierotica) May 31, 2015

 

What other words are related to imperative sentence?

• sentence
• command
• request
• direction
• instruction
• interrogative sentence
• declarative sentence
• exclamatory

Quiz yourself!

Which of the following is an imperative sentence?

A. Do it.
B. John took out the trash.
C. Could you please tell me the time?
D. Jayne left her books at school.

More About Imperative

What does imperative mean?

In English grammar, we use mood to categorize verb forms by the attitude the speaker has toward what they are saying. The imperative mood is used when you are asking (or demanding) someone to do something, as with commands, directions, invitations, and warnings. For example, Don’t go into the woods at night. 

Imperative is also used to describe something as being absolutely necessary, as in It is imperative that we make it to the airport by noon, or we will miss our flight.

And imperative is used to mean a command or important obligation, as in Helping my brother is an imperative that cannot be ignored. 

Why is imperative important?

The first records of imperative come from around 1520. It ultimately comes from the Latin verb imperāre, meaning “to order” or “to command.”

In most imperative sentences, the subject of the sentence is understood to be “you,” meaning the person that the speaker is talking to, as in (You,) Pass me the salt. The exception to this is when the speaker wants to include themselves in an imperative sentence, as in Let’s go to the beach!

Did you know … ?

When using imperative sentences, you don’t need to be overly demanding or aggressive to make your point. Beginning a command with please can help your listener be more willing to follow your directions.

What are real-life examples of imperative?

Most GPS programs and apps use imperative sentences when giving directions.

Imperative is a common word that describes something as being really important or necessary. The imperative mood is also commonly used.

The equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines is more than a moral imperative: It is key to solve the most pressing public health emergency of our time.

IFRC is launching a new plan to support the immunization of 500 million people.

— IFRC (@ifrc) February 4, 2021

One of the last things Erin and I talked about was the imperative to make people understand that when you see people in distress, you do not call the cops. When you see people in distress on social media, do not flag their accounts. These systems only make things worse.

— s. e. smith (@sesmith) July 8, 2021

What other words are related to imperative?

• mood
• indicative
• subjunctive
• command
• order
• request
• directions
• instructions

Quiz yourself!

Which of the following sentences uses the imperative mood?

A. Do we need to work together?
B. I want you to bring me that stack of papers.
C. Take a left at the next intersection.