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

The commercial imperatives on OpenAI and Anthropic are very different from the commercial imperatives for Google. — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 26 Oct. 2026

Rarely do Washington’s strategic imperatives and humanitarian principles align so neatly. — Anna Nelson, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026

Bringing the P&Ls together under single owners will reduce overlap, clarify accountability, and allow GMs to allocate capital more efficiently and effectively based on their strategic imperatives. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 2 Sep. 2026

Reinforce the importance of Corporate Taste and Capability as organizational imperatives to continue to maintain. — Nisha Talagala, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026

The writers also cited Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox assets, arguing that Fox’s independent creative voice has essentially been subsumed by Disney’s corporate imperatives. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 22 July 2026

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