English · Word Candidate

imperative

/ɪmˈpɛɹ.ə.tɪv/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: imperatives

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Essential; crucial; extremely important.

Adjective

That you come here right now is imperative.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

Of, or relating to the imperative mood.

Adjective

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

The grammatical mood expressing an order (see jussive). In English, the imperative form of a verb is the same as that of the bare infinitive.

Noun

The verbs in sentences like "Do it!" and "Say what you like!" are in the imperative.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

A verb in the imperative mood.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

What does “imperative” mean?

Essential; crucial; extremely important.

Is “imperative” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.