o·blig·a·to·ry
Audio Help [uh-blig-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, ob-li-guh-] Pronunciation Key
—Related forms
Audio Help [uh-blig-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, ob-li-guh-] Pronunciation Key –adjective
| 1. | required as a matter of obligation; mandatory: A reply is desirable but not obligatory. |
| 2. | incumbent or compulsory (usually fol. by on or upon): duties obligatory on all. |
| 3. | imposing moral or legal obligation; binding: an obligatory promise. |
| 4. | creating or recording an obligation, as a document. |
[Origin: 1425–75; late ME < LL obligātōrius binding, equiv. to L obligā(re) to bind (see obligate) + -tōrius -tory1
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] —Related forms
ob·lig·a·to·ri·ly
Audio Help [uh-blig-uh-tawr-uh-lee, ‑tohr‑, ob-li-guh‑, uh-blig-uh-tawr-uh-lee, ‑tohr‑, ob-li-guh‑] Pronunciation Key, adverb
Audio Help [uh-blig-uh-tawr-uh-lee, ‑tohr‑, ob-li-guh‑, uh-blig-uh-tawr-uh-lee, ‑tohr‑, ob-li-guh‑] Pronunciation Key, adverb ob·lig·a·to·ri·ness, noun
—Synonyms 2. necessary, imperative.
—Antonyms 2. voluntary.
| Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
obligatory
To learn more about obligatory visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| o·blig·a·to·ry
Audio Help (ə-blĭg'ə-tôr'ē, -tōr'ē, ŏb'lĭ-gə-) Pronunciation Key
adj.
o·blig'a·to'ri·ly adv. |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
| obligatory | |
adjective | |
| 1. | morally or legally constraining or binding; "attendance is obligatory"; "an obligatory contribution" [ant: optional] |
| 2. | required by obligation or compulsion or convention; "he made all the obligatory apologies" |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
obligatory [əˈbligətəri, (American) əbligəˈto:ri] adjective
compulsory
Example: Attendance at tonight's meeting is obligatory.
See also: obligation, oblige, obligingExample: Attendance at tonight's meeting is obligatory.
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| Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary, © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd. |
obligatory
Fac"ul*ta*tive\, a. [L. facultas, -atis, faculty: cf. F. facultatif, G. fakultativ.]1. Having relation to the grant or exercise faculty, or authority, privilege, license, or the like hence, optional; as, facultative enactments, or those which convey a faculty, or permission; the facultative referendum of Switzerland is one that is optional with the people and is necessary only when demanded by petition; facultative studies; -- opposed to obligatory and compulsory, and sometimes used with to. 2. Of such a character as to admit of existing under various forms or conditions, or of happening or not happening, or the like; specif.: (Biol.) Having the power to live under different conditions; as, a facultative parasite, a plant which is normally saprophytic, but which may exist wholly or in part as a parasite; -- opposed to obligate. 3. (Physiol.) Pertaining to a faculty or faculties. In short, there is no facultative plurality in the mind; it is a single organ of true judgment for all purposes, cognitive or practical. --J. Martineau.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
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