Dictionary.com

imperative

[ im-per-uh-tiv ]
/ ɪmˈpɛr ə tɪv /
See synonyms for: imperative / imperatives / imperatively / imperativeness on Thesaurus.com

adjective

absolutely necessary or required; unavoidable: It is imperative that we leave.
of the nature of or expressing a command; commanding.
Grammar. noting or pertaining to the mood of the verb used in commands, requests, etc., as in Listen! Go!Compare indicative (def. 2), subjunctive (def. 1).

noun

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Origin of imperative

1520–30; <Late Latin imperātivus, equivalent to Latin imperāt(us) past participle of imperāre to impose, order, command (im-im-1 + -per- (combining form of parāre to fur-nish (with), produce, obtain, prepare) + -ātus-ate1) + -īvus-ive

OTHER WORDS FROM imperative

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH imperative

imperative , imperial, imperious
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to imperative

obligatory, inescapable, indispensable, crucial, immediate, compulsory, pressing, urgent, vital, critical, essential, important, acute, instant, crying, burning, imperial, dominant, bidding, stern

Example sentences from the Web for imperative

British Dictionary definitions for imperative

imperative
/ (ɪmˈpɛrətɪv) /

adjective

extremely urgent or important; essential
peremptory or authoritativean imperative tone of voice
Also: imperatival (ɪmˌpɛrəˈtaɪvəl) grammar denoting a mood of verbs used in giving orders, making requests, etc. In English the verb root without any inflections is the usual form, as for example leave in Leave me alone

noun

something that is urgent or essential
an order or command
grammar
  1. the imperative mood
  2. a verb in this mood

Derived forms of imperative

imperatively, adverbimperativeness, noun

Word Origin for imperative

C16: from Late Latin imperātīvus, from Latin imperāre to command
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

Cultural definitions for imperative

imperative

A grammatical category describing verbs that command or request: “Leave town by tonight”; “Please hand me the spoon.”

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.