mandatory

[ man-duh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee ]

/ ˈmæn dəˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

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adjective

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, plural man·da·to·ries.

mandatary.

OTHER WORDS FOR mandatory

1 requisite, exigent.

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Origin of mandatory

From the Late Latin word mandātōrius, dating back to 1655–65. See mandate, -tory¹

OTHER WORDS FROM mandatory

man·da·to·ri·ly, adverbnon·man·da·to·ry, adjective, noun, plural non·man·da·to·ries.un·man·da·to·ry, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use mandatory in a sentence

Schools, universities, cafes and restaurants are closed, weddings and funerals are banned and mask-wearing is mandatory.
One of the world’s strictest new lockdowns bans outdoor exercising and dog-walking|Claire Zillman, reporter|November 19, 2020|Fortune
Three of the mass transmission events — where more than one person got infected — Freedman’s study uncovered happened on flights early in the pandemic, when masking wasn’t mandatory.
How risky is air travel in the pandemic? Here’s what the science says.|Brian Resnick|November 12, 2020|Vox
Tampa is also administering the rapid antigen test, which BayCare’s website says “can provide peace of mind for travelers wanting to be sure they aren’t infectious” but warns that it may not excuse you from a locale’s mandatory quarantine.
Here’s what you need to know about getting a coronavirus test at the airport|Andrea Sachs|November 12, 2020|Washington Post
There, the campaign is trying to have the ballots revoked because those voters didn’t handwrite their full address in a specific place on the outer absentee ballot envelope — something that the respondents point out is not a mandatory requirement.
Report: Election officials find no evidence of widespread voter fraud|Benjamin Rosenberg|November 11, 2020|Vox

Mayfield faces a mandatory five-day quarantine after being classified as a high-risk close contact of an individual who tested positive for the coronavirus.
Steelers stay unbeaten, Chargers drop another heartbreaker in NFL Week 9|Cindy Boren, Mark Maske, Des Bieler|November 9, 2020|Washington Post
Mr. Dulles, may I suggest that we get what the law was in Texas at the time, as to when children mandatorily had to attend school?
Warren Commission (1 of 26): Hearings Vol. I (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

British Dictionary definitions for mandatory

mandatory

/ (ˈmændətərɪ, -trɪ) /

adjective

having the nature or powers of a mandate

obligatory; compulsory

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

noun plural -ries

Also called: mandatary a person or state holding a mandate

Derived forms of mandatory

mandatorily, adverb

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

mandatory

OTHER WORDS FOR mandatory

Origin of mandatory

OTHER WORDS FROM mandatory

Words related to mandatory

How to use mandatory in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mandatory

Derived forms of mandatory