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
- nonobligatorily adverb
- nonobligatory adjective
- obligatorily adverb
- obligatoriness noun
- unobligatory adjective
Etymology
Origin of obligatory
1425–75; late Middle English < Late Latin obligātōrius binding, equivalent to Latin obligā ( re ) to bind ( obligate ) + -tōrius -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.
Last month, the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice said it was now "obligatory" to grow beards longer than a fist, doubling down on an earlier order.
From Barron's
Roving among the points of view of a sprawling cast—the sisters, their scattered children and grandchildren, and an assortment of bewildered spouses and exes—the stories often center on obligatory reunions.
Alinejad is one of the most prominent dissident campaigners against Iranian authorities and for years has pushed for the abolition of the obligatory headscarf in Iran under the banner of "MyStealthyFreedom."
From Barron's
Mescal had done the usual “Romeo and Juliet” and “Macbeth” as a drama student, but he says it seemed obligatory for an aspiring actor to love Shakespeare.
The ATP on Thursday announced a slight compromise with disgruntled players by reducing the number of obligatory tournaments they must play each year in an ever more packed schedule.
From Barron's
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.
