How to Use the imperative in a Sentence

the imperative

noun
  • Passover is about the imperative to remember, both the good and the bad.
    — Lee Cowan, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2023
  • The real-world stakes couldn’t be higher, and the imperative to act couldn’t be greater.
    — Stephen Hammer, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2024
  • The first tenet is the imperative of a strong, stable Russian state.
    — Maria Snegovaya, Foreign Affairs, 16 Nov. 2023
  • Suddenly, the mood shifts to the imperative, and with it, the beloved has — perhaps — appeared.
    — Bhanu Kapil Anne Boyer, New York Times, 4 May 2023
  • Which brings us back to the imperative mentioned above.
    — Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2024
  • The moment hangs open, framed by curiosity, and kept safe from the imperative to name and tame.
    — Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024
  • Christ emphasized the imperative: Feed and clothe the least of these brothers and sisters.
    — Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2024
  • At the start of the second Trump presidency, the imperative for action around state courts is clear.
    — Peter Martin, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2025
  • So the imperative will be not only to beat the Portuguese but also to make sure that the margin is sufficient to match whatever the Dutch do against the Vietnamese.
    — John Powers, BostonGlobe.com, 28 July 2023
  • Hardest to swallow — apart from the roll — was the imperative to do nothing but calmly eat while eating calmly.
    — Caity Weaver, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025
  • Nevertheless, for many, even all the information would not be enough, and in any case, the imperative must be to protect sources and methods.
    — David V. Gioe, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
  • Instead, the imperative of the business and political classes is to move on.
    — TIME, 26 Oct. 2023
  • With the Dodgers, and with the imperative to win, Gray likely would have been optioned repeatedly, shuttled between the major and minor leagues.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2023
  • The Americans can’t be blamed for celebrating survival, but the imperative now is clear.
    — John Powers, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Aug. 2023
  • Abbas’s central dilemma has always been how to balance the need for a peace deal with Israel with the imperative for national unity.
    — Khaled Elgindy, Foreign Affairs, 30 Aug. 2024
  • But even small tweaks mark an act of resistance, one rooted in a sense of duty and faith in a near-term victory over Russia by Ukrainian forces, as much as the imperative of making ends meet.
    — Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Mar. 2023
  • The challenge for Michelin seems to be balancing the high standards that give the brand its power with the imperative to expand into markets that may not have many restaurants that meet those standards.
    — Julia Moskin, New York Times, 12 Sep. 2023
  • Shaya and Fenves talk with correspondent Lee Cowan about how food can offer solace in the midst of suffering, and provide the imperative to remember.
    — David Morgan, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2023
  • Confirm or evolve the organization, making sure the right people are in the roles to deliver the imperative together.
    — George Bradt, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
  • Trade needs to support the imperative of climate change action yet at the same time resist unhelpful protectionism.
    — Bybørge Brende, Fortune, 15 Jan. 2024
  • But the imperative on both sides to avoid nuclear escalation would not only create parameters for the objectives sought and the means employed to achieve them.
    — Andrew F. Krepinevich, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023
  • Perhaps the most valuable lesson from sailing is the imperative of adaptability.
    — Kathryn Preston, Fortune, 4 June 2024
  • Every bit as compelling as that affirmative case for consummation of the deal is the imperative of avoiding the strategic and economic costs of rejection.
    — Dan Ikenson, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
  • Neither Putin nor Zelensky will be easily coaxed to the table, and Trump might resent the imperative of having to maintain, and even expand, support for Ukraine as a means to force negotiations.
    — Michael McFaul, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2024
  • All of this adds up to Hutchinson’s decision to spend time in states that do not have early nominating contests, with the imperative of staying on the debate stage competing with the strategy of going slow and steady in early states.
    — Emma Barnett, NBC News, 6 Sep. 2023
  • Through their stories, we are reminded of the power of perseverance, the importance of representation, and the imperative of ensuring that every voice is heard in the halls of power.
    — Shelby Stewart, Essence, 28 Mar. 2024
  • And people might recall that as a result of that, the president dispatched Secretary Blinken and me to Mexico to meet with the president and members of his cabinet to speak of the imperative of funding the enforcement agency.
    — Steve Inskeep, NPR, 15 Jan. 2025
  • The challenges of the last four years nearly took us out, but realizing the imperative nature of mental and physical fortitude has become our cornerstone for growth and resilience.
    — Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 11 Sep. 2024
  • During the Hoxha years, Mr. Kadare treaded carefully between artistic freedom and the imperative of survival.
    — Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 2 July 2024
  • American companies have found the nearest thing to a safe space by focusing on the need for humanitarian relief across the entire region and on the imperative to stamp out antisemitism.
    — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the imperative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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