obligatory

adjective

oblig·​a·​to·​ry ə-ˈbli-gə-ˌtȯr-ē 

ä-, 

ˈä-bli-gə- 

1

: binding in law or conscience

The ordinance made it obligatory that homeowners clear the snow from the sidewalks.

2

: relating to or enforcing an obligation

a writ obligatory

3

: mandatory, required

obligatory military service

also : so commonplace as to be a convention, fashion, or cliché

the obligatory death scene in opera

The thriller included the obligatory chase scene.

4

: obligate sense 1

an obligatory biped

obligatorily

ə-ˌbli-gə-ˈtȯr-ə-lē 

ä-, 

ˌä-bli-gə- 

adverb

Synonyms of obligatory

• mandatory
• compulsory
• required
• incumbent
• necessary

Examples of obligatory in a Sentence

The training is obligatory for all personnel.

This action movie includes the obligatory chase scenes.

Recent Examples on the Web

And that brings us to the San Francisco Giants, which held their obligatory Pride Night on Friday by having 10 gay couples renew their vows in a pregame ceremony that included having a drag queen along the first base line. —Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026

During the eighteenth century, travelers on the Grand Tour, completing their education in art and architectural history, made an obligatory stop in Paestum. —Literary Hub, 11 June 2026

Best Things to Do Get your obligatory sightseeing out of the way in Athens, and then head to the beach for an invigorating dip in the Aegean Sea. —Aileen Weintraub, Travel + Leisure, 10 June 2026

Many married women squish their arms onto a shield alongside their husband’s, although this is not obligatory. —Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English obligatorie, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French obligatorie, obligatoire, borrowed from Latin obligātōrius, from obligāre "to tie up, restrain by tying, place under a legal or moral constraint" + -tōrius, deverbal adjective suffix, originally forming derivatives from agent nouns ending in -tōr-, -tor — more at oblige

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for obligatory

• accusatory
• admonitory
• ambulatory
• amendatory
• celebratory
• circulatory
• combinatory
• commendatory
• compensatory
• condemnatory
• confirmatory
• confiscatory

Kids Definition

obligatory

adjective

oblig·​a·​to·​ry ə-ˈblig-ə-ˌtōr-ē 

-ˌtȯr-

also ˈäb-li-gə-

: not to be left out, forgotten, or ignored : being required

Medical Definition

obligatory

adjective

oblig·​a·​to·​ry

ə-ˈblig-ə-ˌtōr-ē, ä-, -ˌtȯr- also ˈäb-li-gə-

: obligate sense 1

obligatorily

ə-ˌblig-ə-ˈtōr-ə-lē, ä-, -ˈtȯr- also ˌäb-li-gə-

adverb