man·da·to·ry
ˈman-də-ˌtȯr-ē 
1
: required by a law or rule : obligatory
the mandatory retirement age
2
: of, by, relating to, or holding a League of Nations mandate
plural mandatories
: one given a mandate
especially
: a nation holding a mandate from the League of Nations
Did you know?
Something mandatory is the result of a mandate or order, which usually comes in the form of a law, rule, or regulation. Today there seem to be a lot of these mandates, so mandatory seat belts, mandatory inspections for industries, and mandatory prison sentences for violent crimes are regularly in the news. But mandatory retirement at age 65, which used to be common, is now illegal in most cases.
Synonyms
Examples of mandatory in a Sentence
Adjective
Parents object to the mandatory nature of the shots—and the fact that their child's access to education hinges on compliance with the immunization regulations.
—
Alice Park, Time, 2 June 2008
In a move some are calling a "backdoor draft," the Pentagon has announced it will issue mandatory recalls to more than 5,600 Army troops for deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan.
—Nathaniel Frank, Washington Post, 12 July 2004
At the same time, the 1987 repeal of the Fairness Doctrine, which ended mandatory balanced coverage of politics, gave birth to talk radio, and the television universe splintered between the old networks and the new culture of cable gladiators in which opinion was more entertaining than information and cheaper to produce as well.
—Nancy Gibbs, Time, 27 Sept. 2004
the tests are mandatory for all students wishing to graduate
Alice Park, Time, 2 June 2008
In a move some are calling a "backdoor draft," the Pentagon has announced it will issue mandatory recalls to more than 5,600 Army troops for deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan.
—Nathaniel Frank, Washington Post, 12 July 2004
At the same time, the 1987 repeal of the Fairness Doctrine, which ended mandatory balanced coverage of politics, gave birth to talk radio, and the television universe splintered between the old networks and the new culture of cable gladiators in which opinion was more entertaining than information and cheaper to produce as well.
—Nancy Gibbs, Time, 27 Sept. 2004
the tests are mandatory for all students wishing to graduate
Recent Examples on the Web
Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2024
Wonho After being released from his mandatory military enlistment in September, Wonho is back on stages.
—Mikelle Street, WWD, 22 Dec. 2024
Fairchild Studio, WWD, 9 Dec. 2024
Be true to yourself and make physical fitness mandatory.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mandatory 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
The law was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who noted the potential costs to the state of making such training mandatory.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2024
Wonho After being released from his mandatory military enlistment in September, Wonho is back on stages.
—Mikelle Street, WWD, 22 Dec. 2024
Noun
This potential is especially true for omnichannel sales as shipping cutoffs make in-store shopping mandatory.
—Fairchild Studio, WWD, 9 Dec. 2024
Be true to yourself and make physical fitness mandatory.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mandatory
Dictionary Entries Near mandatory
Cite this Entry
“Mandatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mandatory. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
mandatory
adjective
man·da·to·ry
ˈman-də-ˌtȯr-ē
: containing or constituting a command : being obligatory
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share