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Synonyms

compulsory

American  
[kuhm-puhl-suh-ree] / kəmˈpʌl sə ri /

adjective

  1. required; mandatory; obligatory.

    compulsory education.
    Antonyms:
    voluntary

  2. using compulsion; compelling; constraining.

    compulsory measures to control rioting.
    Antonyms:
    voluntary

noun

plural

compulsories

  1. something, as an athletic feat, that must be performed or completed as part of a contest or competition.

    The ice skater received a higher score on the compulsories than on her freestyle performance.
compulsory British  
/ kəmˈpʌlsərɪ /

adjective

  1. required by regulations or laws; obligatory

    compulsory education

  2. involving or employing compulsion; compelling; necessary; essential

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • compulsorily adverb
  • compulsoriness noun
  • noncompulsorily adverb
  • noncompulsorilyness noun
  • noncompulsory adjective
  • quasi-compulsorily adverb
  • quasi-compulsory adjective
  • uncompulsory adjective

Etymology

Origin of compulsory

1510–20; < Medieval Latin compulsōrius, equivalent to Latin compul-, variant stem of compellere ( compel ) + -sōrius, for -tōrius -tory 1; compulsive

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Inspections without notice, regular MOT-style checks and compulsory water efficiency labels on appliances are among the key measures in the government's overhaul of the water industry.

From BBC

Trade union Unite says the university has treated staff with contempt by failing to consult unions and rule out compulsory redundancies,

From BBC

The government has dropped plans to make it compulsory to have digital ID in order to prove a right to work, the BBC understands.

From BBC

Liberty Steel owed Rotherham Council more than £4.2m in unpaid business rates when it was issued with a compulsory winding up order in August 2025, the local authority has confirmed.

From BBC

Stirling is the only university in the UK to make the dementia module compulsory for all nursing and paramedic science students.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.