obligatory

adjective

ə-ˈbli-gə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce obligatory (audio)
Definition of obligatorynext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 obligatory The mahr — the obligatory dowry the groom must pay under Islamic law — comes on top of that, as does the apartment, furniture, and expectation of ongoing household support. — Wael Mahdi, semafor.com, 21 July 2026 Jason Derulo is a hitmaker, Ty Dolla $ign is the obligatory feature on every song, and Top 40 radio is engineered for bottle service. — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 21 July 2026 Bags big and small should also be an obligatory purchase, since there’s a wide selection of crossbody purses, shoulder bags, and more, on sale. — Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026 The songs from the original are all back and arranged identically, with the obligatory new song relegated to the end credits. — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for obligatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obligatory
  1. mandatory
  2. stereotyped
  3. compulsory
  4. tired
  5. required
  6. commonplace
  7. incumbent
  8. usual
Adjective
  • Indeed, the broad backlash against Flock has grown so strong that the surveillance company last week announced mandatory new audit controls and lower default data retention periods for US users.
    — Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Make an accuracy-and-baseline plan a mandatory pre-deployment gate, with the same formal sign-off as a security review, and separate offline testing from production monitoring, since models degrade quietly through data drift long after launch.
    — Sriram Bhargav Madhav, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of mandatory
Adjective
  • Despite their outer appearances and oftentimes stereotyped personalities, the ladies embrace each other’s depths and contradictions.
    — Meagan Jordan, VIBE.com, 10 July 2026
  • This is a directed, stereotyped behavior in which the highest-resolution region of the somatosensory surface is brought to bear on the object requiring the most detailed analysis.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Definition of stereotyped
Adjective
  • Voting is optional in New Zealand but enrollment for those eligible and living in the country is compulsory, with failure to do so punishable by a fine of 100 New Zealand dollars ($59).
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • While vessel inspections are not compulsory, member states can request a secondary inspection of a vessel in line with specified criteria.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of compulsory
Adjective
  • His handicapping merited attention and newsletter sales, but Steele soon tired of tipping his own hand to the oddsmakers in Vegas.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • More and more young people are turning toward low- or no-tech lives, tired of the endless scroll most of us face for hours each day.
    — Greta Cross, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of tired
Adjective
  • Auriga can, for example, alter launch velocity depending on the mass of the projectile, the required range and the type of target being engaged.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Investigators determined that multiple RVs may have been sold at Carson Pass RV in Lockeford without proper notification to their rightful owners and without completing the required Department of Motor Vehicles documentation.
    — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of required
Adjective
  • Losses are commonplace in a market where revenue growth has not kept pace with rising transfer fees and wages.
    — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Lex and Tesehki are stars of Zeus Network's Baddies reality show where brawls are commonplace.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of commonplace
Adjective
  • The move coincided with Carlos Rodón’s return from elbow inflammation; his activation on Tuesday was supposed to force an incumbent member of the rotation to the bullpen before Fried got hurt.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Elsewhere in the region, incumbent state representatives comfortably defeated primary challengers.
    — Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of incumbent
Adjective
  • For Panama, the result is a wet season that’s already been drier than usual and is likely to get worse.
    — Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • New York City sanitation workers say their job has been pricklier than usual after the Department of Sanitation reported an increase in needle stick injuries.
    — Noelle Lilley, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of usual

Browse Nearby Words

obligations
obligatory
oblige
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Cite this Entry

“Obligatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obligatory. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on obligatory

Nglish: Translation of obligatory for Spanish Speakers

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