1
as in instructions
a statement of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned
a secretary of defense who was fond of issuing harshly worded imperatives
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in obligations
something one must do because of prior agreement
although he had little taste for the social imperatives that come with being governor, he put on a brave face
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Recent Examples of imperatives
From the interpolation of four variegating imperatives emerges a single prophetic voice.
—
Elaine L. Wang
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
With the dawn of the AI era, many organizations see transformation and change as urgent imperatives.
—Julia Dhar, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Some leaders just want to have fun Beyond the strategic imperatives of statecraft, the travel patterns of world leaders occasionally reveal a significant personal dimension.
—Collin J. Meisel, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
For pop music in particular, narrative can be fundamentally in tension with other imperatives.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
With their border dispute locked in a stalemate, India is choosing to insulate its diplomatic and economic imperatives from the security conflict with China, according to Kewalramani from the Takshashila Institution.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2025
All political leaders must weigh the competing imperatives of public needs, personal goals and partisan responsibilities.
—John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
For individual engineers, the Microsoft study’s findings suggest several strategic imperatives.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2025
To mitigate risks, organizations must treat data governance and cybersecurity as fundamental business imperatives, not afterthoughts.
—Jack McCullough, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
Elaine L. Wang
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
With the dawn of the AI era, many organizations see transformation and change as urgent imperatives.
—Julia Dhar, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Some leaders just want to have fun Beyond the strategic imperatives of statecraft, the travel patterns of world leaders occasionally reveal a significant personal dimension.
—Collin J. Meisel, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
For pop music in particular, narrative can be fundamentally in tension with other imperatives.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
With their border dispute locked in a stalemate, India is choosing to insulate its diplomatic and economic imperatives from the security conflict with China, according to Kewalramani from the Takshashila Institution.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2025
All political leaders must weigh the competing imperatives of public needs, personal goals and partisan responsibilities.
—John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
For individual engineers, the Microsoft study’s findings suggest several strategic imperatives.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2025
To mitigate risks, organizations must treat data governance and cybersecurity as fundamental business imperatives, not afterthoughts.
—Jack McCullough, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imperatives
Noun
-
According to the filing, the system provided noose-tying instructions, romanticized suicide, and discouraged seeking help.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Sep. 2025
-
There are other considerations—like whether your child is mature enough to handle the ride's instructions—to keep in mind, though.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The software giant has repeatedly encountered shortages in AI computing, exacerbated by its obligations to supply OpenAI.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The higher wages still allow people to keep up with obligations and build stronger credit profiles.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Ever since, as the Taliban returned to power, once again issuing edicts to suppress women and girls, the clinic and its 34-year-old midwife Atifa have continued to provide a lifeline for mothers and young children.—
Elise Blanchard,
Time,
21 Aug. 2025
-
One of the fundamental edicts of the [original Naked Gun creators] Zucker Brothers was you played against the comedy.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The framework separated responsibilities into executive-level roles for oversight and escalation of risks, and program-level roles for daily management.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
For England, this means setting firm rules for exchanges, lenders and token issuers, and defining exactly how the FCA, Bank of England and Payment Systems Regulator divide responsibilities.—
Ozan Ozerk,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Missing healthcare directives can leave families in distress during medical emergencies.—
Cody Barbo,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Soon after, Ajok said she was told by national governing body Uganda Athletics that she was no longer allowed to compete in 800m and 1,500m races, citing directives from WA.—
Amy Woodyatt,
CNN Money,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Global South's innovation ecosystem shows us that technology can emerge from and serve local needs.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Given City’s soft centre has come from a failure to cope with counter-attacks and a lack of pace to defend in a high line, Khusanov may just be the blunt force antidote Guardiola needs.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Governors of several Democratic states, including Arizona, Illinois, Maine and North Carolina, have also signed orders intended to ensure most residents can receive Covid vaccines at pharmacies without individual prescriptions.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
18 Sep. 2025
-
People with private insurance who fall into eligible groups for these vaccines—or who live in a state with that issued orders to expand eligibility requirements—will not have to pay for such vaccinations through the end of 2026.—
Jaimie Seaton,
Scientific American,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Leaders have since reached an agreement to de-escalate tensions, temporarily lowering the duties to 30% on the United States’ side and 10% on China’s part.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Other than writing games and chuffa, one of the duties of the writers was to serve as a sherpa for the different comedian guests who’d come on.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imperatives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperatives. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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