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 WebJoel Rose, NPR, 24 Apr. 2024
The second rule also bars airlines from advertising artificially low prices that don't factor in mandatory fees.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2024
Many charge monthly subscription fees and most charge mandatory fees for instant transfers of funds, though there is typically a no-cost option to receive funds in one to three business days.
—Cora Lewis, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024
That includes the three years tuition remained stable during the COVID-19 pandemic, though in 2023, universities requested increases to the consolidated mandatory student fees, which go toward student services and maintenance.
—Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 23 Apr. 2024
During the mandatory, three-month sentence, the suspect would have to complete a psychological evaluation and an anger management program as a condition of their probation.
—Jenna Barackman, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2024
The bridge construction on U.S. 50 is necessary for the bridges to meet mandatory design standards.
—The Enquirer, 21 Apr. 2024
This measure extended the mandatory timeline for a forced sale of the app to a little under a year after the bill's signing, up from roughly six months.
—Lawrence Andrea, Journal Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2024
In an April 5 letter to Kobach’s office, Deputy Secretary of State Clay Barker, who is also the agency’s general counsel, wrote that absent a judicial directive – such as a warrant or injunction – the mandatory ballot destruction must occur.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024
Phil Wahba, Fortune, 25 Jan. 2024
India’s health ministry is holding mock drills to ensure that hospitals are prepared for a groundswell of COVID cases, the BBC reported Monday, noting that some states have again made mask-wearing in public mandatory.
—Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 14 Apr. 2023
The country’s health ministry is holding mock drills to ensure that hospitals are prepared for rising COVID cases, the BBC reported Monday, noting that some states have again made mask-wearing in public mandatory.
—Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 11 Apr. 2023
Sánchez’s decision to pass a law making board parity mandatory is aligned with a European Union directive issued last year, which demands that such laws be passed in the region by 2026.
—Rodrigo Orihuela, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2023
Tiny New Hampshire is shelling out almost $5million this year to offer the shot free to girls 11 to 18, and 24 other statesare considering making the vaccine mandatory, which suggests that 5 milliondoses is just the tip of the iceberg.
—Emily Saarman, Discover Magazine, 10 June 2017
Simson said that the commission could consider making a voluntary 15% gas demand reduction mandatory, with the EU so far averaging around a 10% cut compared with previous years.
—John Ainger, Bloomberg.com, 12 Oct. 2022
Bush then shared that she and Burton were told that Lenz had refused to do the photoshoot, making Bush’s participation mandatory.
—Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 30 Nov. 2022
First, the rival World Boxing Association was first in line among the three sanctioning bodies for the Spence mandatory, with Lithuania’s Eimantas Stanionis – the WBA's secondary welterweight champion – positioned for the title shot.
—Lance Pugmire, USA TODAY, 9 Nov. 2022
Adjective
The regulation also prohibits bait-and-switch tactics, the DOT says, that disguise the true cost of flights by advertising a low base fare that does not include all mandatory fees.
—Joel Rose, NPR, 24 Apr. 2024
The second rule also bars airlines from advertising artificially low prices that don't factor in mandatory fees.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2024
Many charge monthly subscription fees and most charge mandatory fees for instant transfers of funds, though there is typically a no-cost option to receive funds in one to three business days.
—Cora Lewis, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024
That includes the three years tuition remained stable during the COVID-19 pandemic, though in 2023, universities requested increases to the consolidated mandatory student fees, which go toward student services and maintenance.
—Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 23 Apr. 2024
During the mandatory, three-month sentence, the suspect would have to complete a psychological evaluation and an anger management program as a condition of their probation.
—Jenna Barackman, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2024
The bridge construction on U.S. 50 is necessary for the bridges to meet mandatory design standards.
—The Enquirer, 21 Apr. 2024
This measure extended the mandatory timeline for a forced sale of the app to a little under a year after the bill's signing, up from roughly six months.
—Lawrence Andrea, Journal Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2024
In an April 5 letter to Kobach’s office, Deputy Secretary of State Clay Barker, who is also the agency’s general counsel, wrote that absent a judicial directive – such as a warrant or injunction – the mandatory ballot destruction must occur.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024
Noun
In his first year, Risher cut 30% of Lyft’s workforce, introduced new features like one that matches women passengers and women drivers, and made returning to the office mandatory.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 25 Jan. 2024
India’s health ministry is holding mock drills to ensure that hospitals are prepared for a groundswell of COVID cases, the BBC reported Monday, noting that some states have again made mask-wearing in public mandatory.
—Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 14 Apr. 2023
The country’s health ministry is holding mock drills to ensure that hospitals are prepared for rising COVID cases, the BBC reported Monday, noting that some states have again made mask-wearing in public mandatory.
—Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 11 Apr. 2023
Sánchez’s decision to pass a law making board parity mandatory is aligned with a European Union directive issued last year, which demands that such laws be passed in the region by 2026.
—Rodrigo Orihuela, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2023
Tiny New Hampshire is shelling out almost $5million this year to offer the shot free to girls 11 to 18, and 24 other statesare considering making the vaccine mandatory, which suggests that 5 milliondoses is just the tip of the iceberg.
—Emily Saarman, Discover Magazine, 10 June 2017
Simson said that the commission could consider making a voluntary 15% gas demand reduction mandatory, with the EU so far averaging around a 10% cut compared with previous years.
—John Ainger, Bloomberg.com, 12 Oct. 2022
Bush then shared that she and Burton were told that Lenz had refused to do the photoshoot, making Bush’s participation mandatory.
—Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 30 Nov. 2022
First, the rival World Boxing Association was first in line among the three sanctioning bodies for the Spence mandatory, with Lithuania’s Eimantas Stanionis – the WBA's secondary welterweight champion – positioned for the title shot.
—Lance Pugmire, USA TODAY, 9 Nov. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mandatory.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near mandatory
Cite this Entry
“Mandatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mandatory. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
mandatory
adjective
man·da·to·ry
ˈman-də-ˌtȯr-ē
: containing or constituting a command : being obligatory
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