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
-
mandatories
plural
adjective
-
having the nature or powers of a mandate
-
obligatory; compulsory
-
(of a state) having received a mandate over some territory
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
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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.
See Examples For:
The disclosures were included in the mandatory end-of-quarter 13F filings provided by the San Francisco-headquartered fund, and the heavy concentration in just two companies, in closely-related sectors raises uncomfortable questions about risk management practices.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
“It’s not a given, nor is it an obligation or mandatory to develop a friendship with individuals that you collaborate with,” says Pierre.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
The world’s largest Muslim-majority country is extending mandatory halal-certification requirements on Oct.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
Helmet use is not mandatory in the UK, unlike some other countries.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
He also campaigned for mandatory meat inspections in Germany, designed a sewer system for Berlin, and founded a nursing school and hospitals.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
By giving up the belts, he is stepping away from mandatories, the politics and the pressure to keep defending against whoever is next in line.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
There is also the issue of Usyk's mandatories, which could throw up one particularly eye-catching encounter.
From BBC ● Dec. 4, 2022
With the collapse of those mandatories today, those same defendants could easily see far different outcomes.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 10, 2016
Instead he has dealt with a string of decent but unspectacular mandatories in Hagler-esque fashion as they have shuffled tentatively into his range.
From The Guardian ● May 9, 2016
Germany was deprived of her possessions in Africa during the European War, and the Peace Conference of 1919 appointed Great Britain, France, and Belgium to act as mandatories of the League of Nations.
From The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 1 A to Amide by Various
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.
