compulsory

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /kəmˈpʌlsəɹi/ See IPA manual

Freq #20549

Meanings

1

adj
that must be done because of a rule or law

In most schools, physical education is compulsory.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · that must be done because... mandatory required obligatory

More binding compulsatory decretory forced imperative involuntary nonoptionalunbewisedunvoluntary

Opposites

optional voluntary

Word family

Derived forms compulsorilycompulsorinesscompulsorynessnon-compulsorynoncompulsorysemicompulsoryuncompulsory

Related forms command instruction requisite

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

compulsory process
a defendant's right to require relevant witnesses to appear through court authority

Adjective + noun

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin compulsorius, from Latin compulsus. Displaced native Old English ġenīedelīċ.

compulsus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# compulsory

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /kəmˈpʌlsəɹi/
**Frequency rank:** 20549

## Meanings
1. that must be done because of a rule or law

## Examples
- In most schools, physical education is compulsory.

## Synonyms
- binding
- compulsatory
- decretory
- forced
- imperative
- involuntary
- mandatory
- nonoptional
- obligatory
- required
- unbewised
- unvoluntary

## Antonyms
- optional
- voluntary

## Derived Forms
- compulsorily
- compulsoriness
- compulsoryness
- non-compulsory
- noncompulsory
- semicompulsory
- uncompulsory

## Related Forms
- command
- instruction
- requisite

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: compulsus

## Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin compulsorius, from Latin compulsus. Displaced native Old English ġenīedelīċ.

## AI Etymology
compulsory is an adjective and noun. It was borrowed from Late Latin compulsorius, from Latin compulsus. Displaced native Old English ġenīedelīċ. Historical forms in the chain include compulsus (Latin). Current senses include that must be done because of a rule or law. Derived forms include compulsorily, compulsoriness, compulsoryness, non-compulsory, and noncompulsory. Related words include command, instruction, and requisite.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

markdown