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.
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having received a mandate, as a nation.
noun
plural
mandatoriesadjective
-
having the nature or powers of a mandate
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obligatory; compulsory
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(of a state) having received a mandate over some territory
noun
Other Word Forms
- mandatorily adverb
- nonmandatory adjective
- unmandatory adjective
Etymology
Origin of mandatory
From the Late Latin word mandātōrius, dating back to 1655–65. See mandate, -tory 1
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.
Fire officials requested mandatory evacuations for a large area north of Ramona Expressway and east of Lake Perris on Friday afternoon.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
Surfshark, also headquartered in Amsterdam, benefits from strong privacy protections and no mandatory data retention laws.
From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026
"The mining sector is such a robust and sensitive sector -- it can't be governed through press statements," he told AFP, calling for legislation to include mandatory minimum sentences for convicted offenders.
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
In the interview, Kaufman spoke about the numerous safety checks the platform employed, including the mandatory age verification checks which were rolled out in January 2026 for all users in the UK.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
A Pepette also had responsibility for making smaller posters, which went up in the school halls at the beginning of each week and were transferred to the gym for the mandatory Friday morning pep rally.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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.
