imperative
adjective
, -ˈpe-rə-\
Definition of imperative
(Entry 1 of 2)
imperative
noun
, -ˈpe-rə-\
Definition of imperative (Entry 2 of 2)
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Synonyms & Antonyms for imperative
Synonyms: Adjective
compulsory, forced, incumbent, involuntary, mandatory, necessary, nonelective, obligatory, peremptory, required
Synonyms: Noun
behest, charge, command, commandment, decree, dictate, direction, directive, do, edict, injunction, instruction, order, word
Antonyms: Adjective
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Examples of imperative in a Sentence
Adjective
… I have begun to feel each time as if I am mutilating my antennae (which is how Rastafarians, among others, think of hair) and attenuating my power. It seems imperative not to cut my hair anymore. — Alice Walker, Living by the Word, (1981) 1988 This strange and distorted form of breathing could be interrupted for a minute or two by a strong effort of will, but would then resume its bizarre and imperative character. — Oliver Sacks, Awakenings, 1973 We had a long and interesting evening with the Katzenbachs. He and Lyndon discussed the imperative need to make Washington a law-abiding city and how to go about it. — Lady Bird Johnson 27 Jan. 1965, A White House Diary, 1970 “Eat your spinach!” is an imperative sentence. “Help” in the sentence “Help me!” is an imperative verb. a verb in the imperative mood People resented his imperative tone of voice.Noun
Ellroy has got to be the only writer who still uses "dig" as an imperative … — Laura Miller, New York Times Book Review, 20 May 2001 Indeed, under pressure from a new way of life in which radiant heat from woodburning stoves must circulate unimpeded by dividers, virtually every house with a chimney today has abandoned the closed-door imperative of the high-technology kitchen. — Maxine Kumin, In Deep, 1987 "Maturity" had been a code word … for marriage and settling down; "growth" implied a plurality of legitimate options, if not a positive imperative to keep moving from one insight or experience to the next. — Barbara Ehrenreich, New York Times Magazine, 20 May 1984 She considers it a moral imperative to help people in need. “Eat your spinach!” is in the imperative. “Go” and “buy” are imperatives in the sentence “Please go to the store and buy some milk.”
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Satisfying the representation movement is an identity-politics imperative that teaches a narrow appreciation of Audry’s distinction as a pioneering female filmmaker. — Armond White, National Review, "The Vintage French Film Olivia Bests Today’s #Resistance Filmmakers," 21 Aug. 2019 Let’s name one player from each of those squads whose impact will be imperative in order to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy at season’s end. — Josiah Turner, SI.com, "Six Non-Superstars Who Could Decide Next Season," 20 Aug. 2019 That means planning and making online reservations for admission and parking are imperative. — Heidi Chang, Los Angeles Times, "A big storm hit Kauai, spawning another issue: Are tourists wrecking the island?," 10 Aug. 2019 Far from the fringe issue it is often treated as in mainstream political discourse, solidarity with native peoples has become a global ecological imperative. — Andre Pagliarini, The New Republic, "What Indigenous Rights Have to Do With Fighting Climate Change," 7 Aug. 2019 But lawmakers had come to believe that a change was imperative for the state’s future. — Casey Parks, USA Today, "'You don't know what you did for me': Released from prison by Obama, now on the dean's list," 8 July 2019 The use of drones by groups such as ISIS, smaller powers such as Iran, and even Russia and China make an air defense system that can shoot down everything from commercial drones to enemy attack helicopters and fighter jets an imperative. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "This Is the ATV-Mounted Jammer That Took Down an Iranian Drone," 22 July 2019 The majority of them see great opportunity, even an imperative. — Steven Zeitchik, Washington Post, "Would you pay to stream endless musicals? Some Broadway insiders are quietly betting on it.," 7 June 2019 The promise of brain recovery could even improve organ donations by giving medical professionals an even greater imperative to maintain circulation. — Michael Greshko, National Geographic, "Pig brains partially revived hours after death—what it means for people," 17 Apr. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Yet one of the imperatives of government, including the government of which Burke is a member, is to protect people from being enticed into making decisions without enough information to protect themselves. — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, "Column: Paying women to donate their eggs for research is still a terrible idea," 23 Aug. 2019 Their inclusion is an issue of social justice and an economic imperative. — Greses Perez, The Mercury News, "Opinion: How technology discriminates against half of our population," 16 Aug. 2019 In 2011, two decrees from the late King Abdullah made getting more women to find jobs an economic imperative. — Adam Rasmi, Quartz at Work, "A record number of Saudi women have joined the workforce," 30 July 2019 The proposals for fleets serving up broadband from space fit a terrestrial policy imperative: to expand high-speed internet service to people and places left poorly served by traditional communications providers. — Bloomberg, The Mercury News, "Elon Musk’s satellites dot the heavens, leaving stargazers upset," 8 July 2019