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.
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
Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 9 July 2025
The statute imposed various mandatory prison terms for violating the law.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 9 July 2025
Steven Wolfe Pereira, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
This potential is especially true for omnichannel sales as shipping cutoffs make in-store shopping mandatory.
—Fairchild Studio, WWD, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for mandatory
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Adjective
According to Vought, those figures include discretionary and mandatory spending included in the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law by President Trump on Friday.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 9 July 2025
The statute imposed various mandatory prison terms for violating the law.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 9 July 2025
Noun
The Mandate Approach: Use It or Lose (Your Good Review)
Microsoft is making AI usage mandatory for performance evaluations, reported Business Insider.
—Steven Wolfe Pereira, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
This potential is especially true for omnichannel sales as shipping cutoffs make in-store shopping mandatory.
—Fairchild Studio, WWD, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for mandatory
Cite this Entry
“Mandatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mandatory. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
mandatory
adjective
man·da·to·ry
ˈman-də-ˌtȯr-ē
: containing or constituting a command : being obligatory
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