compulsory

compulsory — adjective

1. Something that is compulsory is required by an official rule, law, or system, le

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

Something that is compulsory is required by an official rule, law, or system, leaving no choice about whether you do it or take part in it.

Example

In England, education is compulsory for all children between the ages of five and sixteen.

compulsory for + group — indicates who the rule applies to

The head teacher made the swimming test compulsory for every student before graduation.

make + noun + compulsory — pattern for introducing a requirement

Common collocations
  • compulsory education
  • compulsory military service
  • compulsory attendance
  • compulsory insurance
  • compulsory registration
  • compulsory voting
  • compulsory retirement
  • compulsory for all students
  • compulsory for everyone
  • make something compulsory
  • become compulsory
  • it is compulsory to + verb
Synonyms
  • mandatory

    Interchangeable in most contexts; 'mandatory' feels slightly more formal and is often used in legal and workplace settings.

  • obligatory

    More formal than 'compulsory'; often appears in written rules, codes of conduct, or customs.

  • required

    A simpler, everyday word. 'Required' is less forceful than 'compulsory' and can apply to non-legal expectations.

Antonyms
  • optional

    The direct opposite; something you may choose to do or not do.

  • voluntary

    Done by personal choice, without any rule forcing you.

Grammar Patterns

compulsory + noun

it is compulsory to + infinitive

compulsory for + noun/pronoun + to-infinitive

Usage Note

This adjective is commonly placed before the noun it describes (attributive position), as in 'compulsory education' or 'compulsory military service'. However, it also works naturally after a linking verb like 'is' or 'became' in a predicative pattern, e.g. 'Voting is compulsory in Australia.'

Common Mistakes

❖ 'It is compulsory to attend the meeting.' ✅ 'Attendance at the meeting is compulsory.' — 'compulsory' describes the event, rule, or thing itself, not the action someone takes.

❖ 'I have compulsory to finish the report.' ✅ 'It is compulsory to finish the report.' OR 'Completing the report is compulsory.' — 'compulsory' is an adjective and cannot replace the modal verb phrase 'have to'.

Word family

  • compulsorily
    adverbB2
  • compulsion
    nounB2
  • compel
    verbB2
  • compulsive
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three synonyms share the core idea that something must be done, but they differ in formality and scope. 'Mandatory' is the closest to 'compulsory' and is widely used in legal, workplace, and school contexts ('mandatory training', 'mandatory reporting'). 'Obligatory' sounds more formal and is often associated with social customs, written codes, or procedures ('an obligatory bow before the ceremony'). 'Required' is the simplest and most flexible of the three; it appears in everyday speech and can refer to non-legal expectations ('the required reading for the course'). In sentences like 'Vaccination is compulsory for all students,' the word 'compulsory' puts stronger emphasis on enforcement by an authority, whereas 'required' feels more neutral.

mandatory ↗obligatoryrequired

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • legally compulsory
  • strictly compulsory
  • usually compulsory

Phrases

  • make something compulsory
  • become compulsory
  • it is compulsory to
  • compulsory by law

Prepositions

  • compulsory for
  • compulsory in

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

'Compulsory' comes from Latin 'compulsorius', meaning 'driven or forced'. This in turn comes from 'compellere' (to drive together or compel), formed from 'com-' (together) and 'pellere' (to drive). The word entered English in the early 1600s, originally keeping the sense of 'exercising compulsion or force'. By the 1800s it had settled into its modern meaning of 'required by authority or rule'.