mandatory

American  

[man-duh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] / ˈmæn dəˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

adjective

1. authoritatively ordered; obligatory; compulsory.

   It is mandatory that all students take two years of math.

   Synonyms:

   exigent, requisite

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

3. Law. permitting no option; not to be disregarded or modified.

   a mandatory clause.

4. having received a mandate, as a nation.

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noun

• mandatories
  plural

1. mandatary.

mandatory British  

/ ˈmændətərɪ, -trɪ /

adjective

1. having the nature or powers of a mandate

2. obligatory; compulsory

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

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noun

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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonmandatory
  adjective
• unmandatory
  adjective
• mandatorily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• mandatories
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mandatory

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

Explanation

In the US, attending school through the twelfth grade, driving on the right side of the road, and obtaining a social security number are all mandatory. The phrase "mandatory requirement" is redundant. A mandatory action is something that is required, obligatory, or compulsory. Like letting your Great Aunt Edna pinch your cheeks or passing gym to get your diploma. Mandatory is often used in opposition to optional. If you want to compete with the swim team at school, weeknight practices are mandatory, meaning you have to go, though the Saturday dawn swim practice remains optional, meaning it's up to you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mandatory mandatories

Authorities also expanded a mandatory online training course for individual investors that explains the risks and tracks mock investments through hours of trading exercises.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Nondefense discretionary spending, defense spending, plus Medicaid, CHIP, healthcare subsidies and other mandatory programs are already projected to shrink in relation to the economy.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026

"If it were up to me, there would be mandatory military service," said a mayor in Honduras who banned the battles.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

If reservoir levels continue to fall, it allows for larger mandatory water cuts of up to 3 million acre-feet per year in California, Arizona and Nevada — as much as 40% of the combined allotments.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Father Mulrooney welcomed everyone back and said that, once again, attendance at Mass was mandatory.

From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer

By giving up the belts, he is stepping away from mandatories, the politics and the pressure to keep defending against whoever is next in line.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

There is also the issue of Usyk's mandatories, which could throw up one particularly eye-catching encounter.

From BBC ● Dec. 4, 2022

Instead he has dealt with a string of decent but unspectacular mandatories in Hagler-esque fashion as they have shuffled tentatively into his range.

From The Guardian ● May 9, 2016

Not all mandatories are affected, since many were already decided solely by the jury, as the U.S.

From Washington Times ● May 30, 2015

Germany was deprived of her possessions in Africa during the European War, and the Peace Conference of 1919 appointed Great Britain, France, and Belgium to act as mandatories of the League of Nations.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 1 A to Amide by Various

Related Words

• binding
• compulsory
• de rigueur
• essential
• forced
• imperative
• indispensable
• involuntary
• obligatory