Synonyms of imperatives

imperatives

noun

plural of imperative

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

• instructions
• edicts
• directives
• orders
• directions
• commandments
• dos
• injunctions
• requirements
• words
• commands
• dictates
• decrees
• demands
• behests
• charges
• mandates
• rules
• laws
• precepts
• regulations
• prescriptions
• statutes
• ordinances
• prescripts
• counterorders
• countermands

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• appeals
• petitions
• pleas
• recommendations
• proposals
• urgings
• entreaties
• suggestions

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

• obligations
• responsibilities
• needs
• duties
• commitments
• constraints
• requirements
• promises
• vows
• burdens
• offices
• pledges
• dos
• incumbencies
• pacts
• words
• charges
• oaths
• devoirs
• arrangements
• compulsions
• payments
• contracts
• restraints
• forces
• covenants
• debts
• compacts
• setups
• trusts
• appointments
• tributes
• reservations
• engagements
• musts
• coercions
• prearrangements
• troths
• duresses
• onuses

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• exemptions
• graces
• waivers
• alternatives
• stays
• discharges
• options
• releases
• reliefs
• choices
• preferences
• postponements
• loopholes
• selections
• eases
• picks

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of imperatives

Further, state leaders realize that the nation’s economic imperatives and our broader aspirations for education are two sides of the same coin. — Tim Knowles, Fortune, 8 July 2026

The rise of artificial intelligence, however, has brought with it new possibilities in automation—and new competitive imperatives. — Ram Chakravarti, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Efforts to strengthen domestic supply chains, upgrade advanced manufacturing, and invest heavily in strategic technologies, from cutting-edge semiconductors to next-generation 6G connectivity, are framed not merely as economic initiatives, but as imperatives of national security. — Yu Jie, Time, 13 May 2026

If allowed to stand, this poses problems for utilities, grid operators, and regulators who plan for decades-long timeframes, only to be overruled by short-term political imperatives that favor certain industries. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 9 Apr. 2026

In a new First Opinion essay, two researchers explain the importance of laboratories like this one, as well as the economic and moral imperatives to protect them. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 9 Apr. 2026

But there is no description that captures the many sides of the rabbi’s soul, and so Koestenbaum offers a gloriously Sisyphean attempt, a measure of respect for the human in all its biological imperatives and psychological complexity. — Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026

But where those efforts have been driven primarily by cultural imperatives, Prasad sees restoration increasingly as a commercial proposition – and one with global reach. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Apr. 2026

National security imperatives now suggest that Iran will go towards nuclear weapons — that their strategy over 20 years of trying to have an open nuclear program that could be monitored by [the International Atomic Energy Agency] was a mistake. — Mishal Husain, Bloomberg, 13 Mar. 2026