1
as in authoritarian
fond of ordering people around
the governor's peremptory personal assistant began telling the crowd of reporters and photographers exactly where they had to stand
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in compulsory
forcing one's compliance or participation by or as if by law
a peremptory summons to appear before the committee
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude
she had such a peremptory approach to running the club that people started to avoid her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in arbitrary
having or showing a tendency to force one's will on others without any regard to fairness or necessity
a peremptory insistence that the staff wait on them first
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of peremptory
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
The lawyers accused prosecutors of using seven of their nine peremptory strikes to remove Black jurors from the prospective panel before the final jury was selected.
—Rolling Stone, 16 June 2025
Because of that, the prosecutor might exercise a peremptory strike.
—The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for peremptory
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
The lawyers accused prosecutors of using seven of their nine peremptory strikes to remove Black jurors from the prospective panel before the final jury was selected.
—Rolling Stone, 16 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
-
Magyar—sitting in the front row, rewatching a film that had helped establish him as a global icon of anti-authoritarian resistance—was less than four days away from taking power.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko attended the festivities in the Russian capital.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Until recently both were compulsory and couldn’t be removed.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
-
Alito asked whether that child, born to an Iranian citizen, and therefore also an Iranian citizen, was still subject to Iran’s law requiring compulsory military service.—
Michael Szalma,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Not even the pork choppers were as arrogant and scornful of voting rights as the current mob.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
11 May 2026
-
Of course, David went on to build one of the most illustrious careers in television with characters who are often arrogant, petty and unlikable by traditional media standards.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
According to Sánchez Blanco, González López oversaw the machinery that allowed arbitrary arrests, torture and the defiance of judicial release orders to occur.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
11 May 2026
-
The day itself may be arbitrary, but the sentiment behind it is not.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
After being expelled from Brown University for sneaking a coed into his room, Turner came to Atlanta to work as an account executive for his domineering father’s billboard company, Turner Advertising.—
David Bauder,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
-
After being expelled from Brown University, Turner came to Atlanta to work for his domineering father’s billboard company, Turner Advertising.—
David Bauder,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
The new ranch comes with a coffee-drinking porch (mandatory), but it is weathered, rustic and needs work.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
In California, babies between 15 days and 6 months can only work for 20 minutes at a time and spend two hours on set per day; also mandatory is a nurse, a guardian and a studio teacher, who ensures the baby’s wellbeing is looked after.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Sixers had momentum — a chance to steal (yes, steal) a game against a far (yes, far) superior Knicks team and salvage what was left of their playoff hopes after ceding the first two games of the second-round series at Madison Square Garden.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
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These cultivars are All-America Selections winners because of their superior performance from midsummer until frost.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Every Tuesday, this new newsletter will deliver clear-eyed, authoritative intelligence on the deals, decisions, policies, and power shifts shaping one of the world’s most consequential regions, written for the people who need to act on it.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
-
Dick Cable was known for his booming, authoritative voice.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Peremptory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peremptory. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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