imperative1 adjectiveimperative2 noun
imperativeim‧per‧a‧tive1 /ɪmˈperətɪv/ adjective 
WORD ORIGINimperative1
Origin:
1400-1500 Late Latin imperativus, from Latin imperatus, past participle of imperare ‘to command’EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- But, for the reason just given, it is hardly imperative that we should.
- He remains convinced that it is imperative to work hard on his swing.
- It is imperative that we begin to end this harmful system of separation.
- It is imperative that young and middle-aged adults confront their own and each other's ageism.
- It was imperative that she should reach Dana before he did.
- To exceed the limitations of the lens became imperative.
- We're expanding rapidly, and it's imperative that we function with more efficiency.
- When the writing begins, it is imperative that relevant research should be summarized.
WORD SETS
abbr., abbreviate, verbabbreviation, nounabstract noun, nounaccusative, nounactive, adjectiveadj., adjective, nounadv., adverb, nounadverbial, adjectiveaffix, nounantecedent, nounapposition, nounarticle, nounaspect, nounattributive, adjectiveaux., auxiliary, nounauxiliary verb, nouncase, nouncausal, adjectiveclause, nouncollective noun, nouncommon noun, nouncomparative, adjectivecomparison, nouncomplement, nouncomplex, adjectivecompound, nounconcord, nounconcrete noun, nounconditional, adjectiveconditional, nounconj., conjugate, verbconjugation, nounconjunction, nounconnective, nounconstruction, nouncontinuous, adjectivecontraction, nouncoordinate, adjectivecoordinating conjunction, nouncopula, nouncountable, adjectivecount noun, noundative, noundeclension, noundefinite article, noundemonstrative, adjectivedemonstrative pronoun, noundependent clause, noundeterminer, noundirect discourse, noundirect object, noundirect speech, noundisjunctive, adjectiveditransitive, adjectivedouble negative, noun-ed, suffixending, noun-est, suffix-eth, suffixfeminine, adjectivefinite, adjectiveform, nounfunction word, nounfuture, adjectivegender, noungenitive, noungerund, noungradable, adjectivegrammar, noungrammarian, noungrammatical, adjectivehistoric present, nounhomonym, nounhomophone, nounimperative, adjectiveimperative, nounimpersonal, adjectiveindefinite article, nounindependent clause, nounindicative, nounindicative, adjectiveindirect discourse, nounindirect object, nounindirect speech, nouninfinitive, nouninflect, verbinflected, adjectiveinflection, noun-ing, suffixintensifier, nouninterjection, nouninterrogative, adjectiveinterrogative, nounintransitive, adjectivelinking verb, nounmain clause, nounmasculine, adjectivemodal, nounmodal auxiliary, nounmodal verb, nounmodifier, nounmodify, verbmood, nounn., neuter, adjectivenominal, adjectivenominative, nounnon-finite, adjectivenon-restrictive, adjectivenoun, nounnumber, nounobject, nounparse, verbparticipial, adjectiveparticiple, nounparticle, nounpartitive, nounpart of speech, nounpassive, adjectivepassivize, verbpast, adjectivepast participle, nounpast perfect, nounperfect participle, nounperiphrasis, nounpersonal pronoun, nounphrasal verb, nounphrase, nounpl., plural, nounplural, adjectiveplurality, nounpossessive, adjectivepossessive, nounpredeterminer, nounpredicate, nounpredicative, adjectiveprefix, nounprefix, verbprep., preposition, nounprepositional phrase, nounpres., present participle, nounprogressive, adjectivepronominal, adjectivepronoun, nounproper noun, nounpunctuate, verbpunctuation, nounqualifier, nounquantifier, nounquestion tag, nounreflexive, adjectiveregular, adjectiverelative clause, nounrelative pronoun, nounreported speech, nounrestrictive clause, nounroot, nounrule, nounrun-on sentence, nounsecond person, nounsemicolon, nounsentence, nounsentence adverb, nounsingular, adjectivesolecism, nounsplit infinitive, nounstative, adjectivestem, nounsubject, nounsubjective, adjectivesubjunctive, nounsubordinate clause, nounsubstantive, nounsuffix, nounsuperlative, adjectivesyntactic, adjectivesyntax, nountag, nountense, nountransitive, adjectiveuncountable, adjectivev., variant, nounverb, nounverbal, adjectivevocative, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
It is imperative that politicians should be good communicators.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1extremely important and needing to be done or dealt with immediately: It is imperative that politicians should be good communicators. (=something that must be done for moral reasons)· He felt that rescuing the hostages was a moral imperative.
It is imperative that politicians should be good communicators.it is imperative (for somebody) to do something It is imperative to meet face to face with the client.2technical an imperative verb is one that expresses an order, such as ‘stand up’—imperatively adverbimperative1 adjectiveimperative2 noun
imperativeimperative2 noun [countable] EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Having children is a biological imperative.
- Reducing air pollution has become an imperative.
- Attitudes, relationships and administrations owed much to the ethical imperatives of the playing fields.
- Here the world system is perceived in terms of the strategic imperatives posed by geography.
- His first imperative always has been political survival.
- In Keynes's view, the great imperative was public works.
- Lianne, a physician, should have known better than to ignore the Touch / Training imperatives.
- Often, however, the two imperatives will be in conflict.
WORD SETS
abbr., abbreviate, verbabbreviation, nounabstract noun, nounaccusative, nounactive, adjectiveadj., adjective, nounadv., adverb, nounadverbial, adjectiveaffix, nounantecedent, nounapposition, nounarticle, nounaspect, nounattributive, adjectiveaux., auxiliary, nounauxiliary verb, nouncase, nouncausal, adjectiveclause, nouncollective noun, nouncommon noun, nouncomparative, adjectivecomparison, nouncomplement, nouncomplex, adjectivecompound, nounconcord, nounconcrete noun, nounconditional, adjectiveconditional, nounconj., conjugate, verbconjugation, nounconjunction, nounconnective, nounconstruction, nouncontinuous, adjectivecontraction, nouncoordinate, adjectivecoordinating conjunction, nouncopula, nouncountable, adjectivecount noun, noundative, noundeclension, noundefinite article, noundemonstrative, adjectivedemonstrative pronoun, noundependent clause, noundeterminer, noundirect discourse, noundirect object, noundirect speech, noundisjunctive, adjectiveditransitive, adjectivedouble negative, noun-ed, suffixending, noun-est, suffix-eth, suffixfeminine, adjectivefinite, adjectiveform, nounfunction word, nounfuture, adjectivegender, noungenitive, noungerund, noungradable, adjectivegrammar, noungrammarian, noungrammatical, adjectivehistoric present, nounhomonym, nounhomophone, nounimperative, adjectiveimperative, nounimpersonal, adjectiveindefinite article, nounindependent clause, nounindicative, nounindicative, adjectiveindirect discourse, nounindirect object, nounindirect speech, nouninfinitive, nouninflect, verbinflected, adjectiveinflection, noun-ing, suffixintensifier, nouninterjection, nouninterrogative, adjectiveinterrogative, nounintransitive, adjectivelinking verb, nounmain clause, nounmasculine, adjectivemodal, nounmodal auxiliary, nounmodal verb, nounmodifier, nounmodify, verbmood, nounn., neuter, adjectivenominal, adjectivenominative, nounnon-finite, adjectivenon-restrictive, adjectivenoun, nounnumber, nounobject, nounparse, verbparticipial, adjectiveparticiple, nounparticle, nounpartitive, nounpart of speech, nounpassive, adjectivepassivize, verbpast, adjectivepast participle, nounpast perfect, nounperfect participle, nounperiphrasis, nounpersonal pronoun, nounphrasal verb, nounphrase, nounpl., plural, nounplural, adjectiveplurality, nounpossessive, adjectivepossessive, nounpredeterminer, nounpredicate, nounpredicative, adjectiveprefix, nounprefix, verbprep., preposition, nounprepositional phrase, nounpres., present participle, nounprogressive, adjectivepronominal, adjectivepronoun, nounproper noun, nounpunctuate, verbpunctuation, nounqualifier, nounquantifier, nounquestion tag, nounreflexive, adjectiveregular, adjectiverelative clause, nounrelative pronoun, nounreported speech, nounrestrictive clause, nounroot, nounrule, nounrun-on sentence, nounsecond person, nounsemicolon, nounsentence, nounsentence adverb, nounsingular, adjectivesolecism, nounsplit infinitive, nounstative, adjectivestem, nounsubject, nounsubjective, adjectivesubjunctive, nounsubordinate clause, nounsubstantive, nounsuffix, nounsuperlative, adjectivesyntactic, adjectivesyntax, nountag, nountense, nountransitive, adjectiveuncountable, adjectivev., variant, nounverb, nounverbal, adjectivevocative, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Sharing food is the most important moral imperative in Semai society.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1something that must be done urgently: Sharing food is the most important moral imperative in Semai society. (=something that must be done for moral reasons)· He felt that rescuing the hostages was a moral imperative.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· But there were economic as well as cultural imperatives.· This is not to say that economic imperatives play no part in penal developments.· False notions of rationality have been imputed to the Modern Movement in architecture, stressing economic and technological imperatives.· Firstly, it fails to explain the mechanisms linking an economic imperative with a penal practice.
· None the less, the moral imperatives that are intrinsic to the student role will always reassert themselves.· Are moral imperatives stronger than political power?· If we proceed from prudential to moral imperatives, will the conditions of the choice be fundamentally changed?· But it is also a moral imperative.· Sometimes there's a moral imperative and you feel everything building up behind you that you have to do it.· If there are no absolutes or eternal values, then the moral imperative behind such movements evaporates into thin air.· That the moral imperative was not a sufficient condition has already been remarked upon.· Ending discrimination against older consumers may be regarded as a moral imperative, but it also makes sound economic sense.
· The political imperatives are those choices faced by states, either solely or in alliance with others.· Versatility was declared a political imperative.· These tensions also inform the nature of the political imperatives, both international and national.· The rise of the eugenics movement in the early twentieth century crystallized the intellectual and political imperatives of evolutionary biology.· That ideological and political imperatives underlay the plan of systematization can not be doubted.· Why was full employment a political imperative between 1944 and 1975?
A broad and balanced education is an imperative for raising standards.2formal an idea or belief that has a strong influence on people, making them behave in a particular way: Sharing food is the most important moral imperative in Semai society.3technical the form of a verb that expresses an order. For example, in the order ‘Come here’, ‘come’ is in the imperative.