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
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
Some leaders just want to have fun Beyond the strategic imperatives of statecraft, the travel patterns of world leaders occasionally reveal a significant personal dimension.
—Collin J. Meisel, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
For pop music in particular, narrative can be fundamentally in tension with other imperatives.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
With their border dispute locked in a stalemate, India is choosing to insulate its diplomatic and economic imperatives from the security conflict with China, according to Kewalramani from the Takshashila Institution.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2025
All political leaders must weigh the competing imperatives of public needs, personal goals and partisan responsibilities.
—John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
For individual engineers, the Microsoft study’s findings suggest several strategic imperatives.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2025
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
Some leaders just want to have fun Beyond the strategic imperatives of statecraft, the travel patterns of world leaders occasionally reveal a significant personal dimension.
—Collin J. Meisel, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
For pop music in particular, narrative can be fundamentally in tension with other imperatives.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
With their border dispute locked in a stalemate, India is choosing to insulate its diplomatic and economic imperatives from the security conflict with China, according to Kewalramani from the Takshashila Institution.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2025
All political leaders must weigh the competing imperatives of public needs, personal goals and partisan responsibilities.
—John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
For individual engineers, the Microsoft study’s findings suggest several strategic imperatives.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imperatives
Noun
-
There are also instructions for plenty of creepy cocktails and even craft projects for constructing kooky table decor to match.—
Jillian Sederholm,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The pamphlet offered instructions for how to acoustically recognize an incoming threat and how to determine whether the source is machine-gun fire, artillery fire, rocket launchers, or an air raid.—
Joanna Warsza,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The city’s obligations with the Civic had ended when its lease expired the month before.—
Ashley Hiruko,
ProPublica,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Consumer Duty obligations require firms to demonstrate products serve customer interests.—
Boaz Sobrado,
Forbes.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Ever since, as the Taliban returned to power, once again issuing edicts to suppress women and girls, the clinic and its 34-year-old midwife Atifa have continued to provide a lifeline for mothers and young children.—
Elise Blanchard,
Time,
21 Aug. 2025
-
One of the fundamental edicts of the [original Naked Gun creators] Zucker Brothers was you played against the comedy.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The full moon in Sagittarius on June 11 may bring tension between your inner life and outer responsibilities.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Be mindful of your own responsibilities, whether personally or professionally.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Even with these clear directives, eerie events abound, which the sunbae relays to the narrator.—
Diana Arterian
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Its four main science directives, for decades, have brought to us a superior understanding of Earth science, heliophysics, planetary science, and astrophysics than ever before.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Inside the modular building the women once used are changing rooms, office space and briefing rooms, and United are planning for further development to suit academy needs.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
In an era when streaming subscribers pick their own viewing hours, every program is watched by individual consumers at different times of day, in different geographic regions and with different interests and needs.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Analyzing its grocery orders that included candy in 2024, Instacart found each state's Halloween candy preferences.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The Committee to Protect Journalists advises reporters covering protests to comply with dispersal orders from law enforcement and to ensure press credentials are visible to police.—
Quinlan Bentley,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
If Patullo can’t figure it out soon, coach Nick Sirianni might have to consider stepping in and taking over play-calling duties.—
Ted Nguyen,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The tour, with German musician Anika Nilles taking drum duties, launches Sunday, June 7, at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum, the first of two nights.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imperatives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperatives. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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