1
as in mandatory
forcing one's compliance or participation by or as if by law
in this state, school attendance is obligatory until the age of 16
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stereotyped
used or heard so often as to be dull
the obligatory cliff-hanger endings for season finales of TV shows
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obligatory
The two days of obligatory fasting include Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, according to The Catholic Telegraph.
—
Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 18 Feb. 2026
Stretching late into the evening, a three-course dinner included leeks with sauce gribiche, steak au poivre, or squash tarte tatin followed—all with an obligatory side of fries, of course.
—Avon Dorsey, Vogue, 17 Feb. 2026
Ash Wednesday is considered an obligatory fast day for Roman Catholics between 18 and 59 — meaning limiting food to one full meal and two smaller-than-normal meals.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
On the walls of the training ground, signage has been erected listing obligatory standards for both players and staff, from cultural behaviours to more specific actions, such as timeliness.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obligatory
Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 18 Feb. 2026
Stretching late into the evening, a three-course dinner included leeks with sauce gribiche, steak au poivre, or squash tarte tatin followed—all with an obligatory side of fries, of course.
—Avon Dorsey, Vogue, 17 Feb. 2026
Ash Wednesday is considered an obligatory fast day for Roman Catholics between 18 and 59 — meaning limiting food to one full meal and two smaller-than-normal meals.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
On the walls of the training ground, signage has been erected listing obligatory standards for both players and staff, from cultural behaviours to more specific actions, such as timeliness.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obligatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obligatory
Adjective
-
Iran’s first female athlete to win an Olympic medal, Kimia Alizadeh, a bronze medalist at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games in taekwondo, criticized wearing the mandatory hijab headscarf.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Some of the mandatory junk fees could total $1,700 a year per renter, alleged the suit, and prospective tenants also paid non-refundable reservation and application fees ranging from $55 up to $500.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Kelly Enders-Tharp, a three-time surrogate and education and experience specialist at Growing Generations, explains that surrogates are often stereotyped, or that their backgrounds are misrepresented.—
Kris Ann Valdez,
Parents,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Later, Lenape artist Joe Baker places cutout photographs of his ancestors over the stereotyped images of Native Americans found in the wallpaper.—
Tom McDonough,
Artforum,
1 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
He’s also been convicted of improper disposal of a human body, compulsory insurance violations, distributing or dispensing Class B drugs, and possession with intent to distribute Class B drugs.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Bella Paguyo returns after winning last year’s compulsory title; she’ll be joined by a quartet of stellar freshmen.—
Breven Honda,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The fanbase was just as tired of all the turnover, if not more so.—
Evan Drellich,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The Wildcats looked fresh and feisty from the moment the ball was tipped, perhaps taking advantage of UCF's tired legs following its second-round overtime win over Cincinnati, and roaring to a 35-8 lead over the first 13 minutes of the game.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The required restitution is a total of $258,563, with $233,164 of that to Ulta Beauty and the rest to the city of Royal Oak.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
One quote the Reios received for the required Burial Site Investigation came to $319,000, according to the CBC.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
While the ability to challenge calls across professional sports has become commonplace, Rojas said there is still a level of respect that needs to be considered.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Winning state championships used to be commonplace for the Argyle girls basketball team.—
Greg Riddle,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Residents in the 4th District will face a choice in the city's single contested Common Council race, where Dakota Brace, who has previously volunteered with Great Lakes Neighbors United, has filed to challenge incumbent Alderman Dan Benning.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
6 Mar. 2026
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At least eight incumbent legislators lost their primaries in North Carolina, including another Democrat who voted to override a Stein veto.—
Mary Ramsey
Updated March 6,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
China’s consumer-price growth accelerated to the quickest in over three years and factory deflation moderated again, after a rally in energy markets and as household spending boomed during a later-than-usual Lunar New Year holiday.—
Bloomberg News,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Even with a chunk of its usual rotation out, the Heat’s depth was still on display.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obligatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obligatory. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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