mandatory
Americanadjective
-
authoritatively ordered; obligatory; compulsory.
It is mandatory that all students take two years of math.
-
pertaining to, of the nature of, or containing a command.
-
Law. permitting no option; not to be disregarded or modified.
a mandatory clause.
-
having received a mandate, as a nation.
noun
adjective
-
having the nature or powers of a mandate
-
obligatory; compulsory
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(of a state) having received a mandate over some territory
noun
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing mandatory
List 2
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Twelve Angry Men
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All American Boys
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mandatory spending commitments severely constrain policymakers’ ability to respond to fiscal challenges.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 27, 2026
She rejects his claim, but only a few years later, after being forced out of her job as a social worker, begins a new life in Mandatory Palestine.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
The last Jews left Gaza City in 1929 during the riots that engulfed British-controlled Mandatory Palestine that year, ending a history shaped by the tragic events that plagued this repeatedly destroyed city.
From Barron's • Nov. 28, 2025
Mandatory age checks will be introduced for accounts using chat features, starting in December for Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands, then the rest of the globe from January.
From BBC • Nov. 19, 2025
England had intervened in Egypt as a self-constituted "Mandatory" of European financial interests.
From The New World of Islam by Stoddard, Lothrop
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
