Mandatory Meaning

/ˈmæn.də.t(ə)ɹi/
C1

Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

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adjobligatory; required or commanded by authority.

adjOf, being or relating to a mandate.

Age discrimination is illegal and retirement is mandatory in only a few occupations.
A cooking course should be mandatory in schools.
The offence carries a mandatory life sentence.
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
Wearing a seatbelt is ____ for all passengers by law in this state.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
It is ____ for all students to wear their uniforms during the school day to maintain a professional look.

From Late Latin mandatorius (“of or belonging to a mandator”), from mandātor (“one who commands”), equivalent to mandate + -ory; see mandate.

"This kind of immediate control structure we take to be characteristic of the tribe, and it leads to a rather rigid type of system in which 'every action not mandatory is forbidden'." — 1999, Ian Stewart, Jack Cohen, Figments of Reality: The Evolution of the Curious Mind, page 276:
"It also discusses the access to legal instruments for enforcement with regard to mandatory disclosure of environmental information." — 2011, Dirk Bünger, Deficits in EU and US Mandatory Environmental Information Disclosure: Legal, Comparative Legal and Economic Facets of Pollutant Release Inventories, Springer Science & Business Media, →ISBN, page 57:
"While in the most serious cases mounting an investigation is usually mandatory, there are other occasions where it is less clear-cut or when it is concluded that an investigation would not fulfil RAIB's objectives to improve safety or prevent future accidents." — 2021 December 29, Paul Stephen, “Rail's accident investigators”, in RAIL, number 947, pages 30–31:

Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words

CEFR Practice Quiz
Wearing a seatbelt is ____ for all passengers by law in this state.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
It is ____ for all students to wear their uniforms during the school day to maintain a professional look.

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