mandatory

adjective

ˈman-də-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce mandatory (audio)
Definition of mandatorynext
as in compulsory
forcing one's compliance or participation by or as if by law the tests are mandatory for all students wishing to graduate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mandatory Providers must complete mandatory annual follow-up reviews, which means the certificate reflects sustained performance over time. — Ascend Agency, Mercury News, 13 July 2026 Household sorting into general waste, recyclables and food waste became mandatory nationwide in 2005. — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026 Anyone who has sat through a mandatory team-building exercise knows the difference between a ritual that binds and a program that irritates. — Julia Dhar, Time, 11 July 2026 Following an internal cruise industry review, in 2012 international cruise organizations adopted a new policy requiring ships to hold mandatory muster drills before leaving port. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 11 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for mandatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mandatory
  1. compulsory
  2. required
  3. incumbent
  4. necessary
Adjective
  • As economist and Opportunity@Work founder Byron Auguste has noted, when policymakers, employers and parents all realized that the shifting job landscape required a different preparatory path, states passed compulsory education laws.
    — Tim Knowles, Fortune, 8 July 2026
  • In our analysis, the gap between women and men may persist unless masculinity itself becomes less dependent on dominance, control and compulsory heterosexuality.
    — Ann M. Merriwether, The Conversation, 7 July 2026
Definition of compulsory
Adjective
  • The ruling aligned with the views of the Constitutional Court, which, in removing Yoon from office in April 2025, found that his martial law decree lacked legal grounds and failed to follow required procedures.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
  • Investigators reviewed Walmart surveillance footage, which police said captured the collision and showed the driver of the Ford F-250 inspecting the damage before leaving without providing the required information.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of required
Adjective
  • Bringing work back to Hollywood has become a major platform for both incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and opponent Nithya Raman, with both calling for California’s $750 million film and TV tax incentives program to be uncapped.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 9 July 2026
  • In addition, an incumbent Connecticut governor has not been voted out of office in the general election since 1954 when Republican John Davis Lodge lost to a young Democrat named Abe Ribicoff.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 9 July 2026
Definition of incumbent
Adjective
  • Permits and city cooperation are necessary when large-scale private events require the use of public space (like street closures) or city services (more cops).
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 10 July 2026
  • Cooper encourages legislators to examine drivers of rising healthcare costs that made things like the ACA subsidies necessary in the first place.
    — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of necessary

Browse Nearby Words

mandating
mandatory
mandible
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Cite this Entry

“Mandatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mandatory. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of mandatory for Spanish Speakers

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