obligatory
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
describes something that you must do because it is a law or a formal rule.
legally or officially binding; mandatory according to a set of regulations or statutes.
Simple“In this country, it is obligatory to wear a seatbelt while driving.”
In context“The new safety protocols made it obligatory for all site personnel to undergo rigorous training before operating the heavy machinery.”
UsageOften follows 'it is' as a dummy subject or precedes the noun it modifies.
PitfallThe helmet is obligatory to wear. Wearing a helmet is obligatory.While 'obligatory' can be followed by a 'for' phrase, it is more natural to use the action as the subject or use 'it is obligatory to [verb]'.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
describes something you do because people expect it, even if you do not want to.
required by social etiquette or convention; often used to describe a predictable or perfunctory action.
Simple“He made the obligatory small talk at the party before leaving early.”
In context“After the performance, the lead actor gave an obligatory nod to the balcony, though his exhaustion was evident to the front row.”
Teacher's tipIn social contexts, this often implies the person is doing the action just to be polite or follow a routine, rather than out of genuine interest.
Antonyms
From Middle English obligatorie, from Latin obligatōrius.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.