imperative

adjective
UK: /ɪmˈper.ə.tɪv/
US: /ɪmˈper.ə.t̬ɪv/

  1. Very important and needing to be dealt with immediately.

    1. It is imperative to act now.
    2. Getting the vaccine is imperative for protecting vulnerable populations from the virus.

Synonyms

mandatory crucial essential compulsory vital
imperative noun

  1. A command or order.

    1. The boss gave an imperative to finish.
    2. The general issued an imperative that the troops were ready to move out at dawn.

  2. The grammatical mood expressing a command or request.

    1. “Close the door” is an imperative.
    2. In the sentence 'Be quiet!', 'be' is in the imperative mood.
imperative adjective

  1. Expressing a command; in the form of a command.

    1. “Go now!” is an imperative sentence.
    2. The instructions were written in an imperative style, leaving no room for interpretation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "imperative" is /ɪmˈper.ə.tɪv/ in British English and /ɪmˈper.ə.t̬ɪv/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "imperative": mandatory, crucial, essential, compulsory, vital.

Example usage of "imperative": "It is imperative to act now.". More examples on the page.