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
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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
-
On both ends, a luxury car service was arranged — with specific instructions for the driver about Bread’s motion sickness.—
Beth Landman,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Grayson was charged with first-degree murder but an option for second-degree murder was added to jury instructions before deliberations began.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
29 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
-
Merit filed for Chapter 11 in July, amid financial problems and alleging that TBN had reneged on more than $100 million of financial responsibilities.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The mogul has been slowly stepping aside from the business, exiting his role as director emeritus at Charter last year, and moving to a new role as chairman emeritus at WBD earlier this year, effectively giving up board responsibilities.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
29 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
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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
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Evacuation orders were also issued for six islands in the Bahamas.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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The Jamaican government issued mandatory evacuation orders on Sunday for the most vulnerable coastal communities, according to CNN.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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 31 Oct. 2025.
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