as in mandatory
forcing one's compliance or participation by or as if by law
compulsory retirement at age 70
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Recent Examples of compulsory
As a result, Exxon and ConocoPhillips withdrew from the country, citing to the compulsory expropriation of their assets, leaving behind significant investments.
—
Matt Randolph, Forbes.com, 5 Jan. 2026
More recently, the church was sued by a former employee over a policy of compulsory tithing.
—Sam Kestenbaum, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
The core design feature is compulsory arbitration, where everyone agrees that if there is a dispute, it is heard by a process overseen by the commissioner—and unlike litigation, it is conducted in private.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 29 Dec. 2025
Soldiers and political commissars in the army distrust one another, and the ability of wealthy and educated urbanites to buy their way out of compulsory military service has undermined the legitimacy of the armed forces and damaged the military’s public image.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compulsory
Matt Randolph, Forbes.com, 5 Jan. 2026
More recently, the church was sued by a former employee over a policy of compulsory tithing.
—Sam Kestenbaum, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
The core design feature is compulsory arbitration, where everyone agrees that if there is a dispute, it is heard by a process overseen by the commissioner—and unlike litigation, it is conducted in private.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 29 Dec. 2025
Soldiers and political commissars in the army distrust one another, and the ability of wealthy and educated urbanites to buy their way out of compulsory military service has undermined the legitimacy of the armed forces and damaged the military’s public image.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compulsory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compulsory
Adjective
-
During a federal government shuts down, beneficiaries of Social Security can expect their payments on time because those payments are considered mandatory spending, including Medicare and Medicaid.—
Mike Snider,
Freep.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Is calling mandatory or optional?—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The Bulletin has made thoughtful decisions each year on how to get people’s attention about existential threats and the required action, Eryn MacDonald, senior analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Global Security Program, told CNN in 2022.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
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Failure to respond within the required timeframe may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner, in Sponsor’s sole discretion.—
AJC.com,
AJC.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Piland has been endorsed by incumbent council members Jared Elad, Brian Livingston and Burt Thakur.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Goldschmidt, who was hired in late 2021, previously served as CEO of the World Surf League, giving her a unique perspective on the sport and its incumbent organizations.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Still, the goal is to make necessary changes before hardship.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
-
On the company’s earnings call, analysts asked CEO Tim Cook several questions about Apple’s access to memory components, which have seen their prices skyrocket due to demand related to chips necessary for artificial intelligence data centers.—
Kif Leswing,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compulsory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compulsory. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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