obligatory - Definitions from Dictionary.com

5 results for: obligatory

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

o·blig·a·to·ry

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

]

—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

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.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
obligatory

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

o·blig·a·to·ry Audio Help (ə-blĭg'ə-tôr'ē, -tōr'ē, ŏb'lĭ-gə-) Pronunciation Key
adj.

Morally or legally constraining; binding.
Imposing or recording an obligation: a bill obligatory.
Of the nature of an obligation; compulsory: Attendance is obligatory. Mathematics is an obligatory course.
Biology Obligate.

o·blig'a·to'ri·ly adv.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

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"

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
obligatory [əˈbligətəri, (American) əbligəˈto:ri] adjective

compulsory
Example: Attendance at tonight's meeting is obligatory.

Arabic:	إلْزامي
Chinese (Simplified):	必须履行的，强制性的
Chinese (Traditional):	必須履行的，強制性的
Czech:	povinný
Danish:	obligatorisk
Dutch:	verplicht
Estonian:	kohustuslik
Finnish:	pakollinen
French:	obligatoire
German:	verpflichtend
Greek:	υποχρεωτικός
Hungarian:	kötelező
Icelandic:	skyldu-, skyldubundinn
Indonesian:	wajib
Italian:	obbligatorio

Japanese:	強制の
Korean:	의무적인
Latvian:	obligāts
Lithuanian:	privalomas
Norwegian:	påbudt, obligatorisk, tvungen
Polish:	obowiązkowy
Portuguese (Brazil):	obrigatório
Portuguese (Portugal):	obrigatório
Romanian:	obligatoriu
Russian:	обязательный
Slovak:	povinný
Slovenian:	obvezen
Spanish:	obligatorio
Swedish:	obligatorisk, bindande
Turkish:	zorunlu

See also: obligation, oblige, obliging

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

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.

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