1
as in instructions
a statement of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned
a secretary of defense who was fond of issuing harshly worded imperatives
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in obligations
something one must do because of prior agreement
although he had little taste for the social imperatives that come with being governor, he put on a brave face
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of imperatives
There is a recently burgeoning genre of documentaries — usually either celebrity or true crime in focus — driven not by aesthetic or storytelling imperatives but by (self-)promotional machinery.
—
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 30 Dec. 2025
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, China created an extensive space program driven by scientific, economic, and military imperatives.
—Elizabeth Economy, Foreign Affairs, 9 Dec. 2025
Achieve known and ‘easily’ attainable upside early on; diversify risk; avoid ‘betting’ the company on one initiative; postpone critical risks until the organization is appropriately prepared; simplify so attention is directed to a handful of key imperatives.
—David Podolsky, Fortune, 19 Nov. 2025
For Parfit, meaning grew out of transcendent moral imperatives rather than individual lives.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
Both Sheffield and Kinloch wrote their early childhood strategies would align with the Hope Starts Here framework, a citywide early childhood philanthropic partnership started in 2016 that follows six key imperatives to strengthen Detroit's early childhood system.
—Beki San Martin, Freep.com, 24 Oct. 2025
The pair spoke about the development of reasoning models, governments’ pivot away from safety, and his new nonprofit, LawZero, which aims to redesign AI safety in the face of commercial imperatives.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 26 Sep. 2025
From the interpolation of four variegating imperatives emerges a single prophetic voice.
—Elaine L. Wang
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
With the dawn of the AI era, many organizations see transformation and change as urgent imperatives.
—Julia Dhar, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 30 Dec. 2025
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, China created an extensive space program driven by scientific, economic, and military imperatives.
—Elizabeth Economy, Foreign Affairs, 9 Dec. 2025
Achieve known and ‘easily’ attainable upside early on; diversify risk; avoid ‘betting’ the company on one initiative; postpone critical risks until the organization is appropriately prepared; simplify so attention is directed to a handful of key imperatives.
—David Podolsky, Fortune, 19 Nov. 2025
For Parfit, meaning grew out of transcendent moral imperatives rather than individual lives.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
Both Sheffield and Kinloch wrote their early childhood strategies would align with the Hope Starts Here framework, a citywide early childhood philanthropic partnership started in 2016 that follows six key imperatives to strengthen Detroit's early childhood system.
—Beki San Martin, Freep.com, 24 Oct. 2025
The pair spoke about the development of reasoning models, governments’ pivot away from safety, and his new nonprofit, LawZero, which aims to redesign AI safety in the face of commercial imperatives.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 26 Sep. 2025
From the interpolation of four variegating imperatives emerges a single prophetic voice.
—Elaine L. Wang
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
With the dawn of the AI era, many organizations see transformation and change as urgent imperatives.
—Julia Dhar, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imperatives
Noun
-
The company also announced a partnership with Google DeepMind to integrate Gemini Robotics AI, enabling Atlas to reason through complex instructions and operate in unstructured environments.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
-
At first, doctors sent them home from the hospital with instructions to monitor her symptoms.—
Leondra Head,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But advocates argued that merely checking a box to satisfy an audit does not necessarily mean improvements in animal welfare, as evidenced by several troubling incidents that occurred last year, which is why advocates want greater transparency into how the city is fulfilling its obligations.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2026
-
The commission also emphasized that Verizon’s stricter unlocking obligations never applied industry-wide.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Williams agreed that the attempt did not make sense and explained that his thoughts were informed by intoxication and competing internal edicts from a devil and angel.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Dec. 2025
-
Saudi Arabia appears to be slowly and quietly rolling back its near-blanket bans on alcohol consumption, signaling perhaps another instance of the Kingdom’s strict religious edicts yielding to its push for international appeal.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
By 2030, the company expects Atlas to take on more complex responsibilities, including repetitive and heavy-load assembly work.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Soldiers will serve in a support role, focused on protecting property, safeguarding critical infrastructure and allowing local law enforcement to remain focused on community safety and investigative responsibilities, according to a news release from the governor's office.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The letter details other claims of favoritism and disregard for recent board directives to curb spending, like attempting to hire for vacant positions and authorizing overtime expenditures despite the hiring and overtime freeze enacted in the board approved fiscal solvency plan.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Indeed, her dynamic with her clientele is long-term, 360-degree and more of a two-way dialogue than directives on what to wear where — and when.—
James Manso,
Footwear News,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Southwestern President Mark Sanchez told the committee Tuesday that his school and its collaborators need to introduce an array of bachelor’s degree programs to help meet the needs of students and employers in South County, home to 500,000 people.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Depending on your space, heating needs, and comfort levels, a space heater can be an efficient heat source.—
Shivani Vyas,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In December 2025, the heavy apparatus count was down to 240 and 207 ambulances with 90 service orders, according to LAFD data.—
Jeff Nguyen,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The Kings Mountain facility, west of Charlotte in Gaston County, will handle e-commerce orders for large items such as televisions, furniture, and appliances.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The complaint asserts that Minneapolis and Saint Paul have been forced to divert officers from their usual duties to respond to incidents involving federal immigration enforcement, undermining local efforts to protect the community.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Morgan identifies talent, while Tilis handles the finances and administrative duties.—
Mike Kaye
Updated January 13,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imperatives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperatives. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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