Imperative: meaning, example and synonyms

Imperativeadj. Absolutely necessary; of vital importance.

Flashcard for Imperative (adjective): absolutely necessary; of vital importance. Example: With the river rising each hour, it became imperative that the town finish reinforcing the levee before nightfall. Synonyms: essential, crucial, vital, critical. Antonyms: optional, unimportant, unnecessary, trivial. Memory tip: Latin imperare = "to command": a command that must be obeyed. Illustration: workers in raincoats quickly stacking sandbags along a swollen river under a stormy sky.

Example

With the river rising each hour, it became imperative that the town finish reinforcing the levee before nightfall.

Part of speech
adjective
Synonyms
essential, crucial, vital, critical
Antonyms
optional, unimportant, unnecessary, trivial
Memory tip
Latin imperare = "to command": a command that must be obeyed.

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Check yourself: Imperative in context

Pick the word that best completes each text, as on the SAT's words-in-context questions.

Question 1

With the vaccine requiring cold storage, it was ______ that the clinic's refrigerators keep running during the power outage.

Question 2

The editor told the young reporter that checking every quotation with its source was not optional but ______.

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