Imperative

/ɪmˈpɛr.ə.tɪv/

Meaning & Definition

noun

an essential or urgent thing.

Staying healthy is a personal imperative for many people.

a command or order.

The military operates under a strict imperative to follow orders.

adjective

of vital importance; crucial.

It is imperative that we meet the deadline to ensure project success.

giving an authoritative command; peremptory.

The manager issued an imperative order for all employees to attend the meeting.

Derived from Latin 'imperativus', from 'imperare' meaning 'to command'.

imperative mood:

The grammatical mood used to express commands.

taking imperative action:

Taking necessary steps that are urgently required.

it's imperative to...:

It is crucial or necessary to do something.

Mandatory

It's imperative that you show up on time, or else you'll miss the bus!

Essential or crucial

In this game, knowing the rules is imperative if you want to win.