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.
Rick Atkinson’s “The British Are Coming,” about the Revolutionary War, is beautifully written and started off with a bang, but soon the accounts of battles, with their obligatory suffering and death, became too much.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
She’s been with the company since and holds onto memories of touring and the obligatory “company meetings” that Berkett turned into surprise birthday celebrations for the dancers.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026
Helmets are obligatory for those being carried - fancy dress is expected.
From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026
Given the house’s significance in forging one of America’s greatest rock albums, it has become an obligatory stop on Springsteen tours of the Jersey Shore.
From Salon • Mar. 4, 2026
His relationship with his daughter had never been good, and after her unfortunate marriage it had deteriorated to the point where only the obligatory politeness Clara imposed allowed them to live under the same roof.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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.
