man·da·to·ry
ˈman-də-ˌtȯr-ē 
1
: required by a law or rule : obligatory
the mandatory retirement age
2
: of, by, relating to, or holding a League of Nations mandate
plural mandatories
: one given a mandate
especially
: a nation holding a mandate from the League of Nations
Did you know?
Something mandatory is the result of a mandate or order, which usually comes in the form of a law, rule, or regulation. Today there seem to be a lot of these mandates, so mandatory seat belts, mandatory inspections for industries, and mandatory prison sentences for violent crimes are regularly in the news. But mandatory retirement at age 65, which used to be common, is now illegal in most cases.
Synonyms
Examples of mandatory in a Sentence
Adjective
Parents object to the mandatory nature of the shots—and the fact that their child's access to education hinges on compliance with the immunization regulations.
—
Alice Park, Time, 2 June 2008
In a move some are calling a "backdoor draft," the Pentagon has announced it will issue mandatory recalls to more than 5,600 Army troops for deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan.
—Nathaniel Frank, Washington Post, 12 July 2004
At the same time, the 1987 repeal of the Fairness Doctrine, which ended mandatory balanced coverage of politics, gave birth to talk radio, and the television universe splintered between the old networks and the new culture of cable gladiators in which opinion was more entertaining than information and cheaper to produce as well.
—Nancy Gibbs, Time, 27 Sept. 2004
the tests are mandatory for all students wishing to graduate
Recent Examples on the Web
Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 29 Nov. 2024
Toof filed a bill last year to implement mandatory Holocaust education within Vermont’s schools.
—Mike Wagenheim, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 29 Nov. 2024
Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
State lawmakers declined to consider several bills aimed at improving prison conditions, including legislation that would have made air-conditioning mandatory in every housing unit in all of Florida's correctional institutions.
—Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mandatory 
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Adjective
State officials haven’t set any mandatory water restrictions, but much of the state is operating under a drought watch or warning, and Oakland in Garrett County has instituted restrictions due to dangerously low levels in the lake that provides its water supply.
—Noun
Be true to yourself and make physical fitness mandatory.
—Dictionary Entries Near mandatory
Cite this Entry
“Mandatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mandatory. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.
Legal Definition
mandatory
adjective
man·da·to·ry
ˈman-də-ˌtȯr-ē
: containing or constituting a command : being obligatory
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