peremptory

adjective pe·remp·to·ry \ pə-ˈrem(p)-t(ə-)rē \

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

Definition of peremptory

1 a : putting an end to or precluding a right of action, debate, or delay; specifically : not providing an opportunity to show cause why one should not comply

a peremptory mandamus

b : admitting of no contradiction

2 : expressive of urgency or command

a peremptory call

3 a : characterized by often imperious or arrogant self-assurance

how insolent of late he is become, how proud, how peremptory
—William Shakespeare

b : indicative of a peremptory attitude or nature : haughty

a peremptory tone

peremptory disregard of an objection

—

peremptorily

play \pə-ˈrem(p)-t(ə-)rə-lē; -ˌrem(p)-ˈtȯr-ə-lē\ adverb

—

peremptoriness

play \pə-ˈrem(p)-t(ə-)rē-nəs\ noun

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Examples of peremptory in a Sentence

Her peremptory tone angered me.
the governor's peremptory personal assistant began telling the crowd of reporters and photographers exactly where they had to stand

Recent Examples of peremptory from the Web

As The Register points out, what’s unusual here is the peremptory nature of the Commission’s ruling.

— james vincent, The Verge, "UK companies and residents will be stripped of .EU domains after Brexit," 30 Mar. 2018
Their lack of rapport was evident in the peremptory way the president fired him.

— mark landler, maggie haberman and gardiner harris, New York Times, "In Replacing Tillerson With Pompeo, Trump Turns to Loyalists Who Reflect ‘America First’ Views," 13 Mar. 2018
His peremptory order also unseated Cyril Magnin, the city’s official greeter and the couple’s host, and his daughter Ellen Newman, who also had an ice cream cone in hand.

— johnny miller, San Francisco Chronicle, "Corpse found in crawl space near Tenderloin restaurant, 1993," 14 Mar. 2018
In this one, the first of a series published from 1935 to 1961, readers are introduced to a nervous Londoner named Pongo Twistleton, whose orderly life is disarrayed by the visit of his peremptory and mischievous uncle Fred from the country.

— jesse green, New York Times, "Review: Surprise Lessons From John Lithgow’s ‘Stories by Heart’," 11 Jan. 2018
And power, as it is exercised within the world’s largest political group, is ruthless, peremptory and cloaked.

— andrew browne, WSJ, "Ruthless and Cloaked: Beijing Pushes Its Secretive Power Abroad," 24 Oct. 2017
By turns peremptory and sweet, Godinez is great at wrangling helpers, voluntary and reluctant.

— tony adler, Chicago Reader, "Spoiler alert: this Quixote comes to a bad end," 11 Oct. 2017
His prosecutor, a district attorney named Joseph Briley, came to the case with a reputation for using peremptory strikes during jury selection in a racially discriminatory fashion.

— andrew cohen, Esquire, "Why I Believe the Supreme Court Needs to Stop This Georgia Execution," 14 Sep. 2017
The ’64 fair was a financial failure—its attendance of 51 million was nearly 20 million fewer than expected—and Moses’ peremptory management style (and $100,000-a-year salary) doomed him.

— adam rogers, Smithsonian, "What the Unisphere Tells Us About America at the Dawn of the Space Age," 29 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'peremptory.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Peremptory is ultimately from Latin perimere, which means "to take entirely" or "destroy" and comes from per- ("thoroughly") and emere ("to take"). Peremptory implies the removal of one's option to disagree or contest something. It sometimes suggests an abrupt dictatorial manner combined with an unwillingness to tolerate disobedience or dissent (as in "he was given a peremptory dismissal"). A related term is the adjective preemptive, which comes from Latin praeemere-from prae- ("before") plus emere. Preemptive means "marked by the seizing of the initiative" (as in "a preemptive attack").

Origin and Etymology of peremptory

Middle English peremptorie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin & Latin; Late Latin peremptorius, from Latin, destructive, from perimere to take entirely, destroy, from per- thoroughly + emere to take — more at redeem

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

peremptory Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of peremptory

masterful, domineering, imperious, peremptory, imperative mean tending to impose one's will on others. masterful implies a strong personality and ability to act authoritatively.

- her masterful personality soon dominated the movement

domineering suggests an overbearing or arbitrary manner and an obstinate determination to enforce one's will.

- children controlled by domineering parents

imperious implies a commanding nature or manner and often suggests arrogant assurance.

- an imperious executive used to getting his own way

peremptory implies an abrupt dictatorial manner coupled with an unwillingness to brook disobedience or dissent.

- given a peremptory dismissal

imperative implies peremptoriness arising more from the urgency of the situation than from an inherent will to dominate.

- an imperative appeal for assistance

PEREMPTORY Defined for English Language Learners

peremptory

adjective

Definition of peremptory for English Language Learners

—used to describe an order, command, etc., that you must obey without any questions or excuses
: having or showing the insulting attitude of people who think that they should be obeyed without question

Law Dictionary

peremptory

adjective pe·remp·to·ry \ pə-ˈremp-tə-rē \

legal Definition of peremptory

1 : permitting no dispute, alternative, or delay; specifically : not providing an opportunity to show cause why one should not comply

when the right to require the performance of the act is clear and it is apparent that no valid excuse can be given for not performing it, a peremptory mandamus may be allowed
—Revised Statutes of Nebraska