compulsatory

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /kəmˈpʌlsəˌtɔri/ UK /kəmˈpʌlsətəri/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
compelling or compulsory; tending to compel (archaic)

The decree carried compulsatory force upon every tenant.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · compelling or compulsory;... compulsory compelling coercive obligatory constraining

Opposites

voluntary optional

Word family

Related forms compulsory compulsion compel

Etymology

From Latin compulsare ('to compel, drive') + -ory; ultimately from compellere ('to drive together, force'), frequentative compulsare, from com- ('together') + pellere ('to drive').

compulsare Latin pellere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives Register & Style

External links

# compulsatory

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /kəmˈpʌlsəˌtɔri/
**IPA (UK):** /kəmˈpʌlsətəri/

## Meanings
1. compelling or compulsory; tending to compel (archaic)

## Examples
- The decree carried compulsatory force upon every tenant.

## Synonyms
- compulsory
- compelling
- coercive
- obligatory
- constraining

## Antonyms
- voluntary
- optional

## Related Forms
- compulsory
- compulsion
- compel

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: compulsare
- Root: pellere

## Etymology
From Latin compulsare ('to compel, drive') + -ory; ultimately from compellere ('to drive together, force'), frequentative compulsare, from com- ('together') + pellere ('to drive').

## AI Etymology
Compulsatory comes from Latin compulsare ('to compel, drive') + -ory; ultimately from compellere ('to drive together, force'), frequentative compulsare, from com- ('together') + pellere ('to drive'). The historical trail runs through compulsare in Latin and pellere in Latin. Morphologically, compulsatory is transparent: it draws on Latin compulsare ('to compel, drive') + -ory. Used as an adjective, compulsatory now means "compelling or compulsory; tending to compel (archaic)", so the present definition can be read against the older forms and meanings. The same lexical family is also visible in related forms such as compulsory, compulsion, and compel. The result is a borrowed or transmitted form whose modern spelling carries a compact record of its route into English.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives
- Register & Style

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