obligatory
[ uh-blig-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, ob-li-guh- ]
/ əˈblɪg əˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i, ˈɒb lɪ gə- /
adjective
required as a matter of obligation; mandatory: A reply is desirable but not obligatory.
incumbent or compulsory (usually followed by on or upon): duties obligatory on all.
imposing moral or legal obligation; binding: an obligatory promise.
creating or recording an obligation, as a document.
RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
obligation, obligational, obligational authority, obligative, obligato, obligatory, oblige, obliged, obligee, obligement, obliging
Origin of obligatory
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for obligatory
British Dictionary definitions for obligatory
obligatory
/ (ɒˈblɪɡətərɪ, -trɪ) /
adjective
required to be done, obtained, possessed, etc
of the nature of or constituting an obligation
Derived Formsobligatorily, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for obligatory
obligatory
c.1400, from Old French obligatoire "creating an obligation, obligatory," and directly from Late Latin obligatorius "binding," from obligat-, past participle stem of obligare (see oblige).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper