compulsory, mandatory, obligatory | WordReference Forums

Compulsory involves a COMPULSION (physical or otherwise), Mandatory implies a MANDATE (legal or otherwise), Obligatory denotes an OBLIGATION ( ... Forums Dictionarysearch:  English-Spanish English-French English-Italian English-German English-Dutch English-Russian English-Portuguese English-Polish English-Romanian English-Swedish English-Czech English-Greek English-Turkish English-Chinese English-Japanese English-Korean English-Arabic Spanish-English French-English Italian-English German-English Dutch-English Russian-English Portuguese-English Polish-English Romanian-English Swedish-English Czech-English Greek-English Turkish-English Chinese-English Japanese-English Korean-English Arabic-English Spanish-French Spanish-Portuguese Spanish-Catalan French-Spanish Portuguese-Spanish Englishdefinition Englishsynonyms Englishcollocations Englishusage Italiandefinition Spanishdefinition Spanishsynonyms Catalandefinition Spanish French Italian Login Register What'snew Search Rules/Help/FAQ Members InterfaceLanguage Menu Login Register Installtheapp Install EnglishOnly EnglishOnly Youareusinganoutofdatebrowser.Itmaynotdisplaythisorotherwebsitescorrectly.Youshouldupgradeoruseanalternativebrowser. compulsory,mandatory,obligatory Threadstarter xuartema Startdate May30,2007 X xuartema Member Lausanne Switzerland,French Helloeverybody, Cananativeenglish-speakingpersonexplaintomethesubtledifferencesbetweencompulsorymandatoryandobligatory,inthecommonusage,everyday-life?Inwhichsituationyouwouldpreferablyusethisterminsteadofthisone?Thankyou.   J Judica SeniorMember EastCoast,US AE(US),Spanish(LatAm) IwouldusecompulsorywhenIamforcingsomeonetoattendameeting. Youhavetogotothemeeting. IwouldusemandatorywhenIwanteveryonetoattendameeting. Eitheryouoryourrepresentativehastogotothemeeting. IwoulduseobligatorywhenIwanttomakesomeonefeeltheyshouldattendthemeetingoutofloyalty. Thisoneismoreofaconsciencematter. Myopinionontheirusage.I'mhopingotherswillreplywiththeiropinionsalso.   liliput SeniorMember Spain U.K.English IviewthetermsasentirelysynonymousbutJudica'sinterpretationisveryinterestingandmakesalotofsense.Lookattheverbformsofthesewords: Compulsory-tocompel. Mandatory-tocommand. Obligatory-tooblige. Havingsaidthat,Ihavetoreiteratethatthetermsaregenerallyusedcompletelysynonymously.   R river SeniorMember U.S.English Mandatory(adj.):requiredbylaw;compulsory;obligatory. Mandatoryappearsinseveralonlinelawdictionaries,whereascompulsoryandobligatorydonot.Otherwise,Ithinkthesetermsaresynonymous. So,Isayautoinsuranceismandatory(requiredbylaw).ButIuseobligatoryforschoolcourses:Twoyearsofforeignlanguageisobligatory.   liliput SeniorMember Spain U.K.English riversaid: Mandatory(adj.):requiredbylaw;compulsory;obligatory. Mandatoryappearsinseveralonlinelawdictionaries,whereascompulsoryandobligatorydonot.Otherwise,Ithinkthesetermsaresynonymous. So,Isayautoinsuranceismandatory(requiredbylaw).ButIuseobligatoryforschoolcourses:Twoyearsofforeignlanguageisobligatory. Clicktoexpand... Ithinkthisisanimportantpoint.Mandatoryisobviouslythepreferredchoiceinlegalterminology,probablyotherprofessionshavetheirownpreferencesforaparticularterm.Idon'tknowifobligatoryisthepreferredformforeducationalbodies-Icanrememberseveralthingsthatwerecompulsoryinschooltoo.   X xuartema Member Lausanne Switzerland,French Thankstoallofyouforyourcomprehensiveanswers.Thenuancesbetweenthosethreewordsarethinbutnevertheless,it'sgoodtoknowthat"mandatory"isthewordofchoiceinlegalmatters,that"compulsory"conveystheideaofcoercion,"pushing"or"forcing"someonetodosomething,and"obligatory"ismoreofamatterofconscienceorageneralterm.Again,thankyouverymuchforsheddingsomelight.   cycloneviv SeniorMember Perth,WesternAustralia English-Australia riversaid: So,Isayautoinsuranceismandatory(requiredbylaw). Clicktoexpand... InAustralia,wearerequiredtohave"CompulsoryThirdPartyInsurance",soitseemsthat,dependingperhapsongeography,differenttermsareused.   T tektron NewMember English Itiscorrectthatineverydayusagethetermsareinterchangeable.Iechowhatxuartemahasconcluded: Asanaccountant,Imakethisdistinction: Obligatory:Torepayadebtisobligatory;itisanobligationbutImaychoosenottorepay-unlikelybutthatisamatterformybadconscience. Mandatory:Therepaymentofthatdebtbecomesmandatory,whenmandated(ordered,decreed,etc.)bythecourts.However,Istill(foolishly)maychoosenottopay.Thisisofcourseagainstthelaw. Compulsory:Iamcompelledtorepaywhenforcedtodosobyenforcementaction.Examplesincludeimprisonment,repossession,assetseizing,orinsolvencyaction. So,thedifferenceissubtleandamatterofdegree.Isimilarexamplewouldberent:Payontime(obligatory),arrearsnoticeandevictionnotice(mandatory),evictionbyabailiff(compulsory).Simply:somechoice,littlechoice,nochoice. Hopethathelps.   panjandrum LapsedModerator Belfast,Ireland English-Ireland(topend) Thisisacuriousquestion. Myinitialthoughtwasthatit'sentirelyamatterofcontext. Oneofthethree,mandatory,isn'tusedmuchinnormallife.Itappearsagreatdealinspecificationsandcontracts. RelevantOEDdefinitions: compulsory Dependingonorproducedbycompulsion;compelled,forced,enforced,obligatory. mandatory Of,relatingto,orconveyingacommandorcommission;binding. Obligatory,compulsory;notdiscretionary; obligatory Imposingobligationormorallybinding;compulsoryandnotmerelypermissive;thatmustbedoneorpractised. Thegeneralmeaningseemsverysimilar,buteachhasconnotationsthatarereflectedinthecommentsabove.   X xuartema Member Lausanne Switzerland,French tektronsaid: So,thedifferenceissubtleandamatterofdegree.(...)Simply:somechoice,littlechoice,nochoice. Hopethathelps. Clicktoexpand... Thankyoutektron,youclarifiedthesituationentirely. Cheers.   T TrevMule NewMember English Isimilarexample Iamunclearastowhytektronrefersto'Isimilarexample'inhisexplanation,butotherwisehiscommentsappeartobequitebrillinat.   T tektron NewMember English ThanksTrevforpointingoutmyspellingerror.IcomefromapartofBelfastwhere"I"and"A"areinterchangeable(lakeoblagatory,mindatoryindcompulsory).Ahopethascleirsthemitterup.   teddyxstitch Member Dijon,France French Judicasaid: IwouldusecompulsorywhenIamforcingsomeonetoattendameeting. Youhavetogotothemeeting. IwouldusemandatorywhenIwanteveryonetoattendameeting. Eitheryouoryourrepresentativehastogotothemeeting. IwoulduseobligatorywhenIwanttomakesomeonefeeltheyshouldattendthemeetingoutofloyalty. Thisoneismoreofaconsciencematter. Myopinionontheirusage.I'mhopingotherswillreplywiththeiropinionsalso. Clicktoexpand... DoyouthinkIcanuse"obligatory"asasynonymfor"mandatory"or"required"inmylessonontheAmericanschoolsystem(because"obligatory"isquitesimilartotheFrenchwordanditwouldmakeiteasierformystudentstounderstand)?   Florentia52 Modwomanintheattic Wisconsin English-UnitedStates teddyxstitchsaid: DoyouthinkIcanuse"obligatory"asasynonymfor"mandatory"or"required"inmylessonontheAmericanschoolsystem(because"obligatory"isquitesimilartotheFrenchwordanditwouldmakeiteasierformystudentstounderstand)? Clicktoexpand... Weneedtoseethesentenceinwhichyouwoulduseit,inordertobeabletoansweryourquestion.   teddyxstitch Member Dijon,France French Itwouldbesomethinglike:inAmericanschools,studentshavemandatoryclassesandelectiveones. Iwouldwritesynonyms:obligatoryundermandatory/optionalunderelective/maybesubjectsunderclasses. Doesthathelp?   Myridon SeniorMember Texas English-US teddyxstitchsaid: Itwouldbesomethinglike:inAmericanschools,studentshavemandatoryclassesandelectiveones. Iwouldwritesynonyms:obligatoryundermandatory/optionalunderelective/maybesubjectsunderclasses. Doesthathelp? Clicktoexpand... Theusualterminthatsentencewouldbe"required."   teddyxstitch Member Dijon,France French Thanks.Butwhatisthedifference?Ifoundboth"mandatory"and"required"inrecordingsandarticlesontheAmericanschoolsystem.Please,don'taskmetoquotebecauseItooknotesfromthedifferentsourcesinordertomakeitallassimpleaspossibleformystudents.   X xuartema Member Lausanne Switzerland,French CompulsoryinvolvesaCOMPULSION(physicalorotherwise), MandatoryimpliesaMANDATE(legalorotherwise), ObligatorydenotesanOBLIGATION(moralorotherwise).   Myridon SeniorMember Texas English-US teddyxstitchsaid: Thanks.Butwhatisthedifference?Ifoundboth"mandatory"and"required"inrecordingsandarticlesontheAmericanschoolsystem.Please,don'taskmetoquote Clicktoexpand... Thewordthatgoeswith"elective"isusually"required".Withoutlookingatyoursourcesthatuse"mandatory",wecan'ttellifthisisusedinadifferentwayorthesameway.Schoolattendanceiscompulsory/mandatoryintheUSuptotheageof16.Whileyouareattendingelementaryschoolandhighschool,youmustbeinclassessoitismandatory/compulsorythatyouattendalltheclassesthatyouareenrolledinwhethertheyarerequiredorelective.   teddyxstitch Member Dijon,France French Thanksalot.Iwillsayrequiredandelective.   X xuartema Member Lausanne Switzerland,French teddyxstitchsaid: Thanksalot.Iwillsayrequiredandelective. Clicktoexpand... Requiredbywhat:amoralobligationoralegalmandate?(Iexcludephysicalcompulsion,ofcourse).AsIsupposethestudentsdon'tparticularlyfeelamoralobligationtoattendtheclasses,itremainslegalmandate.PersonallyI'duse"mandatoryclasses"ratherthan"requiredclasses"becauseitismandatedbywhoevermakesthe"laws"inthatschooland"required"istoovague,tomyhumbleopinion.Butasbothclasses(required&elective)aremandatoryanyway(accordingtoMyridon).......unlesstheelectiveonesarenot,unless"elective"implies"optional,facultative".Checkthat.Inthatcaseitwouldbe"mandatoryandoptionalclasses".However,ifMyridonwhoisAmericansays'...Thewordthatgoeswith"elective"isusually"required"...',thenI'dfollowhisadvicetoo.   Lastedited:Jul18,2018 Myridon SeniorMember Texas English-US xuartemasaid: Requiredbywhat:amoralobligationoralegalmandate? Clicktoexpand... Itismandatorythatyoutake6(orwhatevernumber)ofclassesperdaysothatyouareinclasseswhileyouareatschool.Someofthoseclassesmayberequired(tomeettherequirementsofgraduation,youmusthave(togiveanexample)fouryearsofEnglishsoEnglishisarequiredclass)whilesomeofthemareelectives(freelychosenfromtheclasseswhicharen'trequired-artisnotrequiredsoArtAppreciationisanelectiveclass).Ifyourschoolonlyrequirestwoyearsofaforeignlanguage,athirdyearofSpanishwouldbeanelectiveeventhoughthefirsttwoyearswererequired. Itismandatorythatyoutakesomeelectiveclassesastakingalltherequiredclassesdoesn'tgiveyouenoughclassestograduate.   X xuartema Member Lausanne Switzerland,French Myridonsaid: Itismandatorythatyoutake6(orwhatevernumber)ofclassesperdaysothatyouareinclasseswhileyouareatschool.Someofthoseclassesmayberequired(tomeettherequirementsofgraduation,youmusthave(togiveanexample)fouryearsofEnglishsoEnglishisarequiredclass)whilesomeofthemareelectives(freelychosenfromtheclasseswhicharen'trequired-artisnotrequiredsoArtAppreciationisanelectiveclass).Ifyourschoolonlyrequirestwoyearsofaforeignlanguage,athirdyearofSpanishwouldbeanelectiveeventhoughthefirsttwoyearswererequired. Itismandatorythatyoutakesomeelectiveclassesastakingalltherequiredclassesdoesn'tgiveyouenoughclassestograduate. Clicktoexpand... Inthatperspective,itmakessense,thanks!(andIdidn'tknowtherewasaspecificjargonforthat).   Youmustloginorregistertoreplyhere. Share: Facebook Twitter Reddit WhatsApp Email Share Link EnglishOnly EnglishOnly Top