compulsory en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- kəm-pŭl'sə-rē
- (Southern-England) audio
- /kəmˈpʌlsəɹi/
Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin compulsorius, from Latin compulsus. Displaced native Old English ġenīedelīċ.
Meanings
-
Required; obligatory; mandatory.
The ten-dollar fee was compulsory.
They are entirely private concerns, established by individual teachers, and attendance upon them is no more compulsory than attendance on our dispensaries.
1827, A. D. Jr., Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal, A. and C. Black, page 212:I haven't booked, so I don't have a clue as to whether the service will be busy or not. Supposedly, reservations are compulsory, but I want to find out what would happen if you just turn up.
2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 68:Some might agree that membership in the firm is perhaps more compulsory than membership in a municipality, but balk at applying the analogy to the nation.
1996, Ugo Pagano, Democracy and Efficiency in the Economic Enterprise, page 73:Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16. Charging school fees is illegal, and so is sorting pupils into ability groups by streaming or setting.
2013 July 19, Peter Wilby, “Finland spreads word on schools”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 30:
-
Having the power of compulsion; constraining.
There will be financial and other incentives to encourage voluntary recruitment, but if that fails to find the numbers a compulsory nationwide call-up will be reconsidered.
2025 November 13, Kate Connolly, “Germany decides against conscription to replenish post-cold war military”, in The Guardian:Such compulsory measures are limited.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| compulsary | India, Philippines, alternative | lexicographic | |
| more compulsory | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most compulsory | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
optional (antonym(s) of “required”) · voluntary (antonym(s) of “having the power of compulsion”)
Coordinates
encouraged · advised · suggested · recommended
Deriveds
compulsory acquisition · noncompulsory · uncompulsory · non-compulsory · compulsory education · compulsoriness · compulsoryness · semicompulsory · compulsory purchase · compulsory purchase order · compulsory heterosexuality · compulsorily
Relateds
instruction · command · requisite
Synonyms
obligatory · unvoluntary · compulsory · binding · imperative · required · compulsatory · forced · involuntary · nonoptional · unbewised · decretory · mandatory
Translations (76)
vi bắt buộc (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · uk обов'язко́вий (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · eo deviga (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · de zwangsweise (constraining) · fi pakko- (constraining) · ar إِجْبَارِيّ (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · fi pakottava (constraining) · mi mātua tutuki (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · ms wajib (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · hy պարտադիր (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · cs povinný (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · nrf oblyigatouaithe (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · it obbligatorio (constraining) · ru обяза́тельный (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · de obligatorisch (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · ang ġenīedelīċ (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · es comisorio (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · es compulsor (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · da obligatorisk (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · hu kényszerítő (constraining) · da påbudt (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · ar إِلْزَامِيّ (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · ka აუცილებელი (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · gd do-sheachanta (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · fr obligatoire (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · wa oblidjî (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · pt compulsório (constraining) · et sunduslik (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · bg задължителен (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · ja 否応無しの (constraining) · et sund- (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · ka სავალდებულო (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · it coatto (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · yi אָבליגאַטאָריש (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · nb obligatorisk (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · ja 強制的な (constraining) · nb forpliktende (constraining) · fi pakko- (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · ro care se cere (constraining) · bn ফরজ (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · nb bindende (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · nb forpliktende (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · hu kötelező (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · ka ძალადობრივი (constraining) · de verpflichtend (constraining) · ja 義務的な (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · de pflichtmäßig (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · pt obrigatório (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · ro obligatoriu (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · de gesetzlich (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · ar مَفْرُوض (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · el εξαναγκαστικός (constraining) · ro obligator (constraining) · es compulsorio (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · af verpligtend (constraining) · el υποχρεωτικός (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · nl verplicht (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · be абавязко́вы (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · bg принуди́телен (constraining) · hi अनिवार्य (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · fi pakollinen (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · he חובה (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · it obbligatorio (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · wa obligatwere (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · ru принуди́тельный (constraining) · et kohustuslik (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · pl obowiązkowy (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · bn বাধ্যতামূলক (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · fi rajoittava (constraining) · it coatto (constraining) · af verpligte (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · de verpflichtend (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · bn ওয়াজিব (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · hy հարկադրական (constraining) · ca obligatori (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory) · sv obligatorisk (mandatory — see also mandatory, obligatory)