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
plural
mandatoriesadjective
-
having the nature or powers of a mandate
-
obligatory; compulsory
-
(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.
The world's biggest band was returning to the stage - after a break of more than three years because of mandatory military service.
From BBC
A fuller regulatory mechanism would need a provisional track—reduced liability in exchange for mandatory monitoring and transparency.
At 16, players taking scholarships would enrol in a mandatory dual education programme with the academic partners, depending on the path they want to take.
From BBC
The settlement also includes a commitment from Berkeley to adopt mandatory anti-discrimination and antisemitism training for staff and faculty and beef up its process for handling discrimination complaints.
From Los Angeles Times
Having played in all of England's Six Nations games this season, Chessum will have a mandatory week off at some point in the next three.
From BBC
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.
