mandatoryman‧da‧to‧ry /ˈmændətəri $ -tɔːri/ ●○○ adjective 
Crash helmets are mandatory for motorcyclists. Murder carries a mandatory life sentence. The Council has made it mandatory for all nurses to attend a refresher course every three years.► see thesaurus at necessary
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Drug smuggling carries a mandatory death sentence.
- In some countries, wearing helmets is mandatory for all cyclists.
- The company's mandatory retirement age is 65.
- Wearing a helmet when riding a motorcycle is mandatory.
- Can some one explain how kids' birthday parties became mandatory and, frequently, icky?
- It is mandatory for riders under 21, and costs $ 65.
- The court made a mandatory order compelling the vendor to allow the person to enter so that the valuation could proceed.
- The next-closest school is Morse, a perennial football power and mandatory stop for major-college recruiters.
- The overarching concern regarding mandatory therapy is not whether it is just or moral but whether it cures or improves.
- The validation of our model using the same selection criteria was also mandatory.
- Those in charge of drawing up a blueprint for health-care reform talk of slapping mandatory controls on all drug prices.
THESAURUS
used to describe something that you need to have or do: · Make sure you bring the necessary documents with you.· It may be necessary for you to have a small operation.
very important and necessary, especially in order to be healthy, successful etc: · Vitamins are essential for healthy growth.· The tourist industry is an essential part of the Spanish economy.
extremely important and necessary, especially in order to avoid serious problems: · A vital piece of equipment on the spacecraft had stopped operating.· It is vital that the aid is sent immediately.
if something is compulsory, you must do it because of a rule or law: · Maths and Science are compulsory subjects.· All new staff undergo a compulsory training course.
if something is obligatory, you must do it because of a rule or law. Obligatory is more formal than compulsory: · The use of seatbelts is obligatory.· Safety regulations have made it obligatory for all competitors to wear fist protectors.
if something is mandatory, you must do it because it is the law. Mandatory is more formal than compulsory and sounds stronger: · School attendance is mandatory.· a prisoner serving a mandatory life sentence
formal [usually before noun] the requisite things are the ones that you need to have in order to do something: · The other candidates lacked the requisite skills.· the requisite evidence needed for a successful prosecution
if something is compulsory, you must do it because of a rule or law: · Maths and English are compulsory for all students.· Compulsory education was introduced in 1870.· Wearing a seat belt is compulsory.· It is now compulsory for anyone claiming state benefit to register with a job centre.
[not usually before noun] if something is obligatory, you must do it because of a rule or law. Obligatory is more formal than compulsory: · It is now obligatory for all competitors to wear face protectors.· Evening dress is usual, but not obligatory.· Military service is obligatory for all men between 18 and 27.
if something is mandatory, you must do it because it is the law. Mandatory is more formal than compulsory and sounds stronger: · Drug smuggling carries a mandatory death sentence.· In some countries, wearing helmets is mandatory for all cyclists.
Longman Language Activatorwhen a rule or law forces you to do something · All competitors must arrive by 10:00 a.m.· All visitors have to sign in at the main reception desk.· I'm not sure what the procedure is -- you might have to make a written complaint.must/have to · I don't want to get rid of the animals, but we have to.
formal to have to do something, because of a legal or professional rule: · Doctors are obliged by law to try to keep their patients alive.· Members of parliament are obliged to declare all their financial interests.
formal to have to do something - used especially in written notices and official documents: · Visitors are required to register their names on arrival.· Under the law the President is required to notify Congress when US troops are likely to be involved in hostilities.· Companies are legally required to keep records of all their financial transactions.
to have to do something because it is the duty of someone in your position to do it, or because you have officially agreed to do it: · Anyone who rents a house is under an obligation to keep it clean and tidy.· Having promised to cut taxes, the government now has an obligation to do so.
something that is compulsory must be done, used, or provided because of a rule or law: · Smoke detectors are compulsory in all new buildings.· Compulsory education (=when all children have to go to school) was introduced in 1870.compulsory for: · Maths and English are compulsory for all students.it is compulsory (for somebody) to do something: · It is now compulsory for anyone claiming state benefit to register with a job centre.
something that is mandatory must be done because of the law: · Drug smuggling carries a mandatory death sentence.mandatory for: · In some countries, wearing helmets is mandatory for all cyclists.
something that is obligatory must be done because of a rule or law, or because it is expected that you will do it: · Evening dress is usual, but not obligatory.obligatory for: · Military service is obligatory for all men between 18 and 27.it is obligatory (for somebody) to do something: · It is now obligatory for all competitors to wear face protectors.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Murder carries a mandatory life sentence. The Council has made it mandatory for all nurses to attend a refresher course every three years.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
if something is mandatory, the law says it must be done SYN compulsory, obligatorymandatory for Murder carries a mandatory life sentence. The Council has made it mandatory for all nurses to attend a refresher course every three years.· Nor was there any change so far as mandatory life sentences were concerned in the 1987 statement.· The change would mean a U-turn for Mr Hague, who voted in 1991 to keep the mandatory life sentence for murder.· It might also be argued that the mandatory life sentence makes a substantial contribution to public safety.
· The deal struck has been to raise the mandatory retirement age from 60 to 65, starting early in the next century.· Up until 1966, stewardesses faced mandatory retirement at age thirty-two or upon marriage-whichever came first.· Amendments to the Act have now abolished mandatory retirement altogether for most categories of workers.· Due largely to changes in mandatory retirement laws, there are now only five faculty members in the club.· However, within the labour movement, interest in mandatory retirement was growing.· Should grabbing hold of that famous stiff-armed bronze trophy come with a mandatory retirement age, like piloting a passenger plane?
· The trial judge, Caulfield J., imposed the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.· He called for more mandatory sentences and the death penalty.· He parents wept as the judge delivered the mandatory sentence.· This is of course the mandatory sentence for a person convicted of murder.· To suggest this child died because of mandatory sentence is grotesque.· In some jurisdictions this is a mandatory sentence of death.· In others, such as those in the United Kingdom, it is the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.
Crash helmets are mandatory for motorcyclists. Murder carries a mandatory life sentence. The Council has made it mandatory for all nurses to attend a refresher course every three years.► see thesaurus at necessary