compulsory

American  

[kuhm-puhl-suh-ree] / kəmˈpʌl sə ri /

adjective

1. required; mandatory; obligatory.

   compulsory education.

   Antonyms:

   voluntary

2. using compulsion; compelling; constraining.

   compulsory measures to control rioting.

   Antonyms:

   voluntary

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noun

plural

compulsories

1. 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.

compulsory British  

/ kəmˈpʌlsərɪ /

adjective

1. required by regulations or laws; obligatory

   compulsory education

2. involving or employing compulsion; compelling; necessary; essential

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Other Word Forms

• compulsorily adverb
• compulsoriness noun
• noncompulsorily adverb
• noncompulsorilyness noun
• noncompulsory adjective
• quasi-compulsorily adverb
• quasi-compulsory adjective
• uncompulsory adjective

Etymology

Origin of compulsory

1510–20; < Medieval Latin compulsōrius, equivalent to Latin compul-, variant stem of compellere ( compel ) + -sōrius, for -tōrius -tory ¹; compulsive

Example Sentences

Stirling is the only university in the UK to make the dementia module compulsory for all nursing and paramedic science students.

From BBC

A lot of smart folks suggest we plan each trip as its own thing rather than as part of some compulsory list.

From MarketWatch

And the only compulsory education is Holocaust education.

From BBC

I received funding from both Erasmus and Turing as I studied French and German, and it was compulsory for me to complete three terms abroad.

From BBC

A Volkswagen spokesman told AFP that the 2030 deal ruling out compulsory redundancies still stood and emphasised that the Dresden site was anyway more a distribution and experience centre than a full-scale factory.

From Barron's

Related Words

• de rigueur
• forced
• imperative
• mandatory
• obligatory
• required