Definition of peremptorynext
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Synonym Chooser

How is the word peremptory distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of peremptory are domineering, imperative, imperious, and masterful. While all these words mean "tending to impose one's will on others," peremptory implies an abrupt dictatorial manner coupled with an unwillingness to brook disobedience or dissent.

given a peremptory dismissal

When is domineering a more appropriate choice than peremptory?

Although the words domineering and peremptory have much in common, domineering suggests an overbearing or arbitrary manner and an obstinate determination to enforce one's will.

children controlled by domineering parents

Where would imperative be a reasonable alternative to peremptory?

The words imperative and peremptory are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, imperative implies peremptoriness arising more from the urgency of the situation than from an inherent will to dominate.

an imperative appeal for assistance

When might imperious be a better fit than peremptory?

While the synonyms imperious and peremptory are close in meaning, imperious implies a commanding nature or manner and often suggests arrogant assurance.

an imperious executive used to getting his own way

When would masterful be a good substitute for peremptory?

The words masterful and peremptory can be used in similar contexts, but masterful implies a strong personality and ability to act authoritatively.

her masterful personality soon dominated the movement

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 peremptory Plenty of agency officials were already put off by the DOGErs, who often issued peremptory orders to meet with them and answer questions. Eli Hager, ProPublica, 8 Sep. 2025 The genius of the people will ill brook the inquisitive and peremptory spirit of excise laws. Marie Sapirie, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025 The administration’s radical and peremptory elimination of U.S. foreign assistance removed a lever of American influence and telegraphed a level of indifference that will not go unnoticed. Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025 Because of that, the prosecutor might exercise a peremptory strike. The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2024 See All Example Sentences for peremptory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peremptory
Adjective
  • Satrapi shows us that under authoritarian rule, exile is experienced not only in leaving home, but in the slow erosion of the self from within.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 June 2026
  • Building the capacity of governments, especially authoritarian ones, to manage migration and contain refugees is not an inherent global good.
    Kelsey Norman, The Conversation, 18 June 2026
Adjective
  • Since Israel’s founding, members of the community who devoted themselves to Torah studies have been exempt from the nation’s compulsory military service.
    Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 23 June 2026
  • Simply sitting with the idea that death is compulsory and irreversible is too hard.
    Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
Adjective
  • The passage is incoherent, yet, in conflating progressive reform with arrogant blind faith, it is perfectly suited to Vance’s cynical conservatism.
    Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 19 June 2026
  • To no one’s surprise, Bonnie is immediately transfixed by her Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee, whose arrogant smarm effectively threads the needle between Maya Hawke’s Anxiety and Regina George’s everything else).
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 16 June 2026
Adjective
  • For at least a decade, federal agents followed guidelines designed to prevent arbitrary civil immigration arrests of people at courthouses.
    Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2026
  • Some media outlets, however, reported that some of those detained were politicians or activists, leading to allegations of arbitrary detentions.
    ABC News, ABC News, 23 June 2026
Adjective
  • Musk’s company has inked lucrative AI deals with Anthropic and Google and plans to be the domineering firm behind orbital data centers, which SpaceX has said could be deployed as early as 2028.
    Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
  • Many figures within evangelicalism have promoted an aggressive, domineering, even abusive view of manhood—affixing to it, as Du Mez argues, the label biblical.
    Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
Adjective
  • Since then, the mussels have spread through California waterways, prompting mandatory boat inspections and decontamination requirements at lakes and reservoirs statewide.
    Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026
  • The requirement was lifted in 1949 but reinstated in the 1950s, and flu vaccines remained mandatory until Hegseth's order.
    Eleanor Watson, CBS News, 25 June 2026
Adjective
  • The Food Processor quickly chops, slices, and shreds a wide array of ingredients for unlimited culinary creations, while the Coffee & Spice Grinder efficiently grinds coffee beans, spices, and herbs for superior flavor and potency.
    ABC News, ABC News, 20 June 2026
  • In both of their victories thus far at the 2026 World Cup, the Americans have been, by far, the superior all-around team.
    Sean Gregory, Time, 20 June 2026
Adjective
  • Plot synopsis House of the Dragon attempts to condense and dramatize the conflicting accounts presented in Fire & Blood—stitched together from testimonies and court chronicles—into a single authoritative narrative.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 June 2026
  • They can be resolved through the application of authoritative expertise and through the organization’s current structures, procedures, and ways of doing things.
    Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Peremptory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peremptory. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.

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