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
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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
-
During the shutdown, essential employees who are still working should continue to document their hours in accordance with special instructions from their agency's payroll provider, according to OPM.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
-
When prompt instructions encouraged models to maximize rewards or hit specific financial goals, irrationality increased.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The television component will follow after Sheridan’s contractual obligations to Paramount are fulfilled in 2028.—
William Earl,
Variety,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Glasser signed a first-look film and TV deal with the studio that will begin early next year, after his company fulfills its current obligations to Paramount.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 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
-
In applications and interviews, parents should talk about juggling kids' activities alongside volunteering at schools and other responsibilities.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
-
And naturally, there's bound to be skepticism about a college coach's ability to transition to the very different responsibilities of managing a 162-game season and a roster of 26 professionals.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Congress could hold hearings to examine whether senior officials disregarded judicial directives or retaliated against career lawyers.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The third film in the franchise follows Ares (Jared Leto), an intelligent computer program who begins to question his orders and directives from CEO Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters), setting him on a collision course into the real world to find Eve Kim (Greta Lee), the current CEO of Encom.—
Leia Mendoza,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Instead of losing the sale, the agent could interact with other retailers’ agents to source the item, complete the transaction, and fulfill the order — creating a frictionless and endless shopping experience that puts the shopper’s needs first.—
Matt Renner,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Millan says that meeting your dog's needs for physical exertion is a key part of ensuring good behavior.—
Madeline Gunderson,
USA Today,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Green testified that Biermann showed her Instacart orders tied to Mowitz’s credit card.—
Sarah Jones,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
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The organization filed a lawsuit in April and a motion for preliminary injunction in May on behalf of 12 students and their families seeking to declare the enforcement of the executive orders unconstitutional.—
Leo Bertucci,
Louisville Courier Journal,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
While some were later moderated—Vietnam to 20 percent, and Thailand, Malaysia, and Cambodia to 19 percent, with Singapore at 10 percent—Laos and Myanmar continue to face 40 percent duties.—
Mayu Saini,
Sourcing Journal,
27 Oct. 2025
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That would take the total rate to 55 percent, including stack-ons from existing duties.—
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imperatives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperatives. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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