mandatory

1 of 2

adjective

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

mandatorily

ˈman-də-ˌtȯr-ə-lē 

adverb

mandatory

2 of 2

noun

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

Adjective

• compulsory
• forced
• imperative
• incumbent
• involuntary
• necessary
• nonelective
• obligatory
• peremptory
• required

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

While eating a meal in the cafeteria is not mandatory, organizing protests are. —Walter Pavlo, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

In a country with one of the planet’s biggest pension pools, where worker contributions are mandatory, everyday savers are picking up the tab when stock prices decline. —Owen Tripp, Fortune Asia, 24 Oct. 2024

Noun

But there is one thing that could bring the death toll down by 10% or around 600 humans, says the Institute, and that’s to make wearing a helmet mandatory. —Josh Max, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024

Some companies made returning to the office mandatory. —Froilan Mendoza, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see mandate entry 1

Noun

see mandate entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1661, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

mandatory

adjective

man·​da·​to·​ry

ˈman-də-ˌtōr-ē,

-ˌtȯr-

1

: containing or constituting a command : obligatory

the assembly was mandatory for all students

2

: of, relating to, or holding a League of Nations mandate

Legal Definition

mandatory

adjective

man·​da·​to·​ry ˈman-də-ˌtȯr-ē 

: containing or constituting a command : being obligatory

mandatorily

-ˌtȯr-i-lē 

adverb