-
Trending Now:
More Trending:
- scaramouch non sequitur admiral's mast calumny kakistocracy
- ALL
Definition of peremptory
1a : 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 mandamusb : admitting of no contradiction
2 : expressive of urgency or command a peremptory call
3a : characterized by often imperious or arrogant self-assurance how insolent of late he is become, how proud, how peremptory — William Shakespeareb : indicative of a peremptory attitude or nature : haughty a peremptory tone peremptory disregard of an objection
Explore Merriam-Webster
peremptory was our Word of the Day on 01/03/2015. Hear the podcast!
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
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
-
Legal experts predicted that the defense would want black jurors and, in fact, Cosby's lawyers only struck whites with their peremptory challenges.
-
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.
-
Juror number 12 was almost seated, but the Commonwealth used one of their peremptory strikes to remove her, CBS Pittsburgh reports.
-
While picking the 12 jurors, each side gets seven peremptory challenges to reject someone without giving a reason and another three challenges while selecting six alternates.
-
Her peremptory conclusion, punctuated by another pedantic bell stroke, gets a laugh, because the meaning of this music, or of any music, is far from obvious.
-
Studies in Alabama, Louisiana and North Carolina have found that prosecutors use peremptory challenges two or three times more often to strike black potential jurors than to strike others.
-
Navigenics refuses to even offer ancestry testing, while deCODEme’s effort is a fairly peremptory affair –
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
Synonym Discussion of peremptory
PEREMPTORY Defined for English Language Learners
peremptory
playDefinition 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
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
2 : not requiring cause — see also peremptory challenge at challenge
Origin and Etymology of peremptory
Late Latin peremptorius, from Latin, destructive, from perimere to take entirely, destroy
peremptory
Legal Definition of peremptory
peremptories
: peremptory challenge at challenge
Learn More about peremptory
-
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for peremptory Spanish Central: Translation of peremptory Nglish: Translation of peremptory for Spanish speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up peremptory? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!