compulsory

[ kuhm-puhl-suh-ree ]
/ kəmˈpʌl sə ri /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR compulsory ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

required; mandatory; obligatory: compulsory education.
using compulsion; compelling; constraining: compulsory measures to control rioting.

noun, plural com·pul·so·ries.

something, as an athletic feat, that must be performed or completed as part of a contest or competition: The ice skater received a higher score on the compulsories than on her freestyle performance.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
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Origin of compulsory

1510–20; < Medieval Latin compulsōrius, equivalent to Latin compul-, variant stem of compellere (see compel) + -sōrius, for -tōrius -tory1; cf. compulsive

OTHER WORDS FROM compulsory

Words nearby compulsory

comptroller general of the united states, comptroller of the currency, compulsion, compulsive, compulsive personality, compulsory, compulsory purchase, compunction, compunctious, compurgation, compurgator
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to compulsory

forced, mandatory, required, obligatory, imperative, imperious, necessary, requisite

Example sentences from the Web for compulsory

British Dictionary definitions for compulsory

compulsory
/ (kəmˈpʌlsərɪ) /

adjective

required by regulations or laws; obligatorycompulsory education
involving or employing compulsion; compelling; necessary; essential

Derived forms of compulsory

compulsorily, adverbcompulsoriness, noun
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