Alternative forms

• compulsary (India, Philippines)

Etymology

Borrowed from Late LatinCategory:English terms borrowed from Late Latin#COMPULSORYCategory:English terms derived from Late Latin#COMPULSORY compulsorius, from LatinCategory:English terms derived from Latin#COMPULSORY compulsus. Displaced native Old English ġenīedelīċ.

Pronunciation

• enPR: kəm-pŭl'sə-rē IPA^(key): /kəmˈpʌlsəɹi/Category:English 4-syllable words#COMPULSORYCategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#COMPULSORY

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

  Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#COMPULSORY

Adjective

compulsory (comparative more compulsory, superlative most compulsory)Category:English lemmas#COMPULSORYCategory:English adjectives#COMPULSORYCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#COMPULSORYCategory:Pages with entries#COMPULSORYCategory:Pages with 1 entry#COMPULSORY

1. Required; obligatory; mandatory.

   The ten-dollar fee was compulsory.Category:English terms with usage examples#COMPULSORY

   • 1827, A. D. Jr., Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal, A. and C. Black, page 212:

     They are entirely private concerns, established by individual teachers, and attendance upon them is no more compulsory than attendance on our dispensaries.

     Category:English terms with quotations#COMPULSORY

   • 1996, Ugo Pagano, Democracy and Efficiency in the Economic Enterprise, page 73:

     Some might agree that membership in the firm is perhaps more compulsory than membership in a municipality, but balk at applying the analogy to the nation.

     Category:English terms with quotations#COMPULSORY

     Category:Quotation templates to be cleaned
   • 2013 July 19, Peter Wilby, “Finland spreads word on schools”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 30:

     Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16. Charging school fees is illegal, and so is sorting pupils into ability groups by streaming or setting.

     Category:English terms with quotations#COMPULSORY

   • 2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 68:

     I haven't booked, so I don't have a clue as to whether the service will be busy or not. Supposedly, reservations are compulsory, but I want to find out what would happen if you just turn up.

     Category:English terms with quotations#COMPULSORY

2. Having the power of compulsion; constraining.

   Such compulsory measures are limited.Category:English terms with usage examples#COMPULSORY

   • 2025 November 13, Kate Connolly, “Germany decides against conscription to replenish post-cold war military”, in The Guardian‎:

     There will be financial and other incentives to encourage voluntary recruitment, but if that fails to find the numbers a compulsory nationwide call-up will be reconsidered.

     Category:English terms with quotations#COMPULSORY

Noun

compulsory (plural compulsories)Category:English lemmas#COMPULSORYCategory:English nouns#COMPULSORYCategory:English countable nouns#COMPULSORYCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#COMPULSORYCategory:Pages with entries#COMPULSORYCategory:Pages with 1 entry#COMPULSORY

1. Something that is compulsory or required.
   • 2008 March 22, The Associated Press, “French Victory in Ice Dance”, in The New York Times‎, archived from the original on 26 November 2022:

     Delobel and Schoenfelder failed to win the free dance, but they had built a big lead in the compulsories and the original dance.

     Category:English terms with quotations#COMPULSORY