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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.

Azam Jangravi, an activist who fled Iran after protesting against the compulsory veil, said she initially favored the bombing campaign that targeted Iran’s leaders and security forces.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Unlike the military, “the Basij are part of society,” said Azam Jangravi, an Iranian activist who campaigned against the compulsory veil.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Teachers have voted to oppose the introduction of a new compulsory reading test for Year 8 pupils in England at the National Education Union's annual conference in Brighton.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

They want to impose compulsory physical attendance and voting, doing away with the current "hybrid" arrangement dating from the pandemic which lets members dial in remotely.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

That evening, Shin went with his mother to an “ideological struggle” meeting, a compulsory gathering for self-criticism.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden

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.