IMPERATIVE: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for IMPERATIVE?

Need another word that means the same as “imperative”? Find 46 synonyms and 30 related words for “imperative” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Imperative” are: vitally important, of vital importance, all-important, vital, crucial, critical, essential, of great consequence, necessary, indispensable, exigent, pressing, urgent, peremptory, commanding, imperious, authoritative, masterful, lordly, magisterial, autocratic, dictatorial, domineering, overbearing, assertive, firm, insistent, bossy, high-handed, overweening, imperative form, imperative mood, jussive mood, necessary condition, precondition, condition, requirement, requisite, necessity, proviso, qualification, basic, rudiment, obligation, duty

Imperative as a Noun

Definitions of "Imperative" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “imperative” as a noun can have the following definitions:

• The imperative mood.
• A mood that expresses an intention to influence the listener's behavior.
• A verb or phrase in the imperative mood.
• Some duty that is essential and urgent.
• A factor or influence making something necessary.
• An essential or urgent thing.

Synonyms of "Imperative" as a noun (16 Words)

basic	The essential facts or principles of a subject or skill. People are facing a shortage of basics like flour.
condition	The procedure that is varied in order to estimate a variable s effect by comparison with a control condition. Those of humbler condition.
duty	Work that you are obliged to perform for moral or legal reasons. We must instill a sense of duty in our children.
essential	The fundamental elements or characteristics of something. We only had the bare essentials in the way of equipment.
imperative form	A mood that expresses an intention to influence the listener’s behavior.
imperative mood	A mood that expresses an intention to influence the listener’s behavior.
jussive mood	The prevailing psychological state.
necessary condition	Anything indispensable.
necessity	The state or fact of being required. A good book is a necessity when travelling.
obligation	A personal relation in which one is indebted for a service or favor. They are under no obligation to stick to the scheme.
precondition	An assumption that is taken for granted. A precondition for peace.
proviso	A condition or qualification attached to an agreement or statement. He let his house with the proviso that his own staff should remain to run it.
qualification	The qualification stage of a sporting event. His new position involves a qualification of his party s platform.
requirement	A thing that is needed or wanted. Choose the type of window that suits your requirements best.
requisite	Anything indispensable. She believed privacy to be a requisite for a peaceful life.
rudiment	The remains of a body part that was functional at an earlier stage of life. She taught the girls the rudiments of reading and writing.

Usage Examples of "Imperative" as a noun

• Free movement of labour was an economic imperative.
• The biological imperatives which guide male and female behaviour.

Imperative as an Adjective

Definitions of "Imperative" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “imperative” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Giving an authoritative command; peremptory.
• Of vital importance; crucial.
• Denoting the mood of a verb that expresses a command or exhortation, as in come here!
• Relating to verbs in the imperative mood.
• Requiring attention or action.

Synonyms of "Imperative" as an adjective (30 Words)

all-important	Of the greatest importance.
assertive	Aggressively self-assured. The job may call for assertive behaviour.
authoritative	Sanctioned by established authority. The captain s authoritative manner.
autocratic	Offensively self-assured or given to exercising usually unwarranted power. An autocratic person.
bossy	Fond of giving people orders; domineering. Don t be so bossy.
commanding	(in military contexts) having a position of authority. A commanding officer.
critical	Having a decisive or crucial importance in the success, failure, or existence of something. Temperature is a critical factor in successful fruit storage.
crucial	Having crucial relevance. A crucial issue for women.
dictatorial	Expecting unquestioning obedience. A dictatorial regime.
domineering	Tending to domineer. How can I do my job with a domineering boss yelling in my ear.
essential	(of a disease) with no known external stimulus or cause; idiopathic. The essential weakness of the plaintiff s case.
exigent	Pressing; demanding. The exigent demands of her contemporaries music took a toll on her voice.
firm	Marked by firm determination or resolution not shakable. We became firm friends.
high-handed	Given to haughty disregard of others.
imperious	Arrogant and domineering. His imperious demands.
indispensable	Absolutely necessary. He made himself indispensable to the parish priest.
insistent	Demanding attention. The bluejay s insistent cry.
lordly	Having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy. They were putting on lordly airs.
magisterial	Of or relating to a magistrate. Magisterial officers.
masterful	Having or revealing supreme mastery or skill. Masterful technique.
necessary	Absolutely essential. It s not necessary for you to be here.
of great consequence	Relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind.
of vital importance	Urgently needed; absolutely necessary.
overbearing	Unpleasantly overpowering. Insufferably overbearing behavior toward the waiter.
overweening	Showing excessive confidence or pride. No idea how overweening he would be.
peremptory	Insisting on immediate attention or obedience, especially in a brusquely imperious way. A peremptory order of the court.
pressing	Expressing something strongly or persistently. He had pressing business in Scotland.
urgent	Of an action or event done or arranged in response to an urgent situation. Bridges in urgent need of repair.
vital	Fatal. Vital organs.
vitally important	Manifesting or characteristic of life.

Usage Examples of "Imperative" as an adjective

• Requests that grew more and more imperative.
• It is imperative that standards are maintained.
• As nuclear weapons proliferate, preventing war becomes imperative.
• Immediate action was imperative.
• The bell pealed again, a final imperative call.

Associations of "Imperative" (30 Words)

assertive	Having or showing a confident and forceful personality. The job may call for assertive behaviour.
autocratic	Characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule; having absolute sovereignty. Autocratic government.
brash	Offensively bold. The cafe was a brash new building.
categorical	Unambiguously explicit and direct. A categorical denial.
cavalier	Given to haughty disregard of others. Anne was irritated by his cavalier attitude.
conditional	A conditional clause or conjunction. Lent conditional support.
despotic	Characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule; having absolute sovereignty. His administration was arrogant and despotic.
dictatorial	Of or typical of a ruler with total power. His mother in law was somewhat dictatorial.
dictatorship	A country governed by a dictator. The effects of forty years of dictatorship.
domineering	Asserting one’s will over another in an arrogant way. How can I do my job with a domineering boss yelling in my ear.
emphatic	An emphatic consonant. The children were emphatic that they would like to repeat the experience.
exigency	A pressing or urgent situation. The health care exigency.
exigent	Demanding attention- H.L.Mencken. The exigent demands of her contemporaries music took a toll on her voice.
firm	Marked by firm determination or resolution not shakable. The snow was firm underfoot.
forceful	Forceful and definite in expression or action. She was a forceful personality.
insistence	Continual and persistent demands. Alison s insistence on doing the washing up straight after the meal.
insistent	Insisting on or demanding something; not allowing refusal. She was very insistent that I call her.
magisterial	Relating to a magistrate. Magisterial districts.
must	Something that should not be overlooked or missed. You must try some of this fish.
obstinacy	The quality or condition of being obstinate; stubbornness. His reputation for obstinacy.
oppressive	Marked by unjust severity or arbitrary behavior. The day was sunless and oppressive.
peremptory	Insisting on immediate attention or obedience, especially in a brusquely imperious way. A peremptory order of the court.
pressing	Expressing something strongly or persistently. Pure grade olive oil is the product of the second or third pressings.
prioritize	Designate or treat (something) as being very or most important. We have too many things to do and must prioritize.
sovereign	A nation’s ruler or head of state usually by hereditary right. In modern democracies the people s will is in theory sovereign.
tyrannical	Exercising power in a cruel or arbitrary way. A tyrannical parent.
unconditional	Not conditional. Unconditional surrender.
unqualified	Not meeting the proper standards and requirements and training. An unqualified denial.
urgency	An earnest and persistent quality; insistence. The urgency of his need.
urgent	Of an action or event done or arranged in response to an urgent situation. She needs urgent treatment.