mandatory

[ man-duh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee ]
See synonyms for mandatory on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. authoritatively ordered; obligatory; compulsory:It is mandatory that all students take two years of math.

  2. pertaining to, of the nature of, or containing a command.

  1. Law. permitting no option; not to be disregarded or modified: a mandatory clause.

  2. having received a mandate, as a nation.

noun,plural man·da·to·ries.

Origin of mandatory

1
From the Late Latin word mandātōrius, dating back to 1655–65. See mandate, -tory1

Other words for mandatory

Other words from mandatory

  • man·da·to·ri·ly, adverb
  • non·man·da·to·ry, adjective, noun, plural non·man·da·to·ries.
  • un·man·da·to·ry, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use mandatory in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mandatory

mandatory

/ (ˈmændətərɪ, -trɪ) /


adjective
  1. having the nature or powers of a mandate

  2. obligatory; compulsory

  1. (of a state) having received a mandate over some territory

nounplural -ries
  1. Also called: mandatary a person or state holding a mandate

Derived forms of mandatory

  • mandatorily, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012