obligatory
Americanadjective
-
required as a matter of obligation; mandatory.
A reply is desirable but not obligatory.
-
incumbent or compulsory (usually followed by on orupon ).
duties obligatory on all.
- Synonyms:
- imperative, necessary
- Antonyms:
- voluntary
-
imposing moral or legal obligation; binding.
an obligatory promise.
-
creating or recording an obligation, as a document.
adjective
-
required to be done, obtained, possessed, etc
-
of the nature of or constituting an obligation
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of obligatory
1425–75; late Middle English < Late Latin obligātōrius binding, equivalent to Latin obligā ( re ) to bind ( see obligate) + -tōrius -tory 1
Explanation
Obligatory describes something you do because you have to, not because you want to. When you buy a car, you have to fill out the obligatory forms. In many homes, saying please and thank you is obligatory. Obligatory derives from the verb oblige, as in "after she was so nice, I felt obliged to take her a present." Some people feel burdened by lives of common obligation, giving presents, returning phone calls, eating birthday cake, attending religious services––none of which they feel any real desire to do.
Vocabulary lists containing obligatory
Persepolis
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All American Boys
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George Washington's Farewell Address (1796)
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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.
Then the obligatory excuse-making: “I think there is justifiable anger at the ongoing war.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
As well as campaigning against capital punishment and the obligatory headscarf for women, she has also regularly predicted the downfall of the clerical system that has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
From Barron's • May 10, 2026
Then on Wednesday, Comey made the obligatory trek to a federal courthouse, appearing before a judge.
From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026
Having reached the Five-Timers Club, as addressed in an obligatory monologue sketch featuring Jonah Hill, Tina Fey, Candice Bergen and others, Black was a returning hero.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026
He took her into his arms in a hug that felt warm, but yet obligatory as well.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
