Differences between "mandatory" and "compulsory"

Compulsory comes from compel - which means to make something happen. · Mandatory comes from mandate - which means to say something should happen. EnglishLanguageLearnersStackExchangeisaquestionandanswersiteforspeakersofotherlanguageslearningEnglish.Itonlytakesaminutetosignup. Signuptojointhiscommunity Anybodycanaskaquestion Anybodycananswer Thebestanswersarevotedupandrisetothetop Home Public Questions Tags Users Unanswered Teams StackOverflowforTeams –Startcollaboratingandsharingorganizationalknowledge. CreateafreeTeam WhyTeams? Teams CreatefreeTeam Teams Q&Aforwork Connectandshareknowledgewithinasinglelocationthatisstructuredandeasytosearch. LearnmoreaboutTeams Differencesbetween"mandatory"and"compulsory" AskQuestion Asked 9years,5monthsago Modified 3years,2monthsago Viewed 200ktimes 37 11 Whatisthedifferencebetweenmandatoryandcompulsory?Aretheysynonyms?Cantheybeusedinterchangeablyespeciallywithregardtosomethingyoumustdo? Writingtheessayisamandatorytask. Writingtheessayisacompulsorytask. word-usagedifferencesynonymslegalese Share Improvethisquestion Follow editedJun16,2020at9:11 CommunityBot 1 askedMar9,2013at20:33 haunted85haunted85 99911goldbadge99silverbadges1616bronzebadges Addacomment  |  3Answers 3 Sortedby: Resettodefault Highestscore(default) Datemodified(newestfirst) Datecreated(oldestfirst) 23 Compulsory(“Required;obligatory;mandatory”),mandatory(“Obligatory;requiredorcommandedbyauthority”),andobligatory(“Imposingobligation,morallyorlegally;binding”)haverelatedandsimilarmeanings. Therearemanyexampleswhereoneofthosewordscouldbeusedinplaceofanother,butinsomeareas,setphrasesarise;forexample,compulsoryeducation,compulsoryservice,mandatoryminimumsentences,mandatoryretirement,obligatorytreatment.Forfurtherexamples,clickthebooklinksatngramsforcompulsory,mandatory,obligatory.AlsoseeELUquestionArethewords“mandatory,”“obligatory,”and“compulsory”interchangeable?andsimilarquestionsatothersites(1,2,3,4,5).Thedifferencebetweenpageisquiteinformative: MandatoryandCompulsoryaretwowordsthatareoftenconfusedwhenitcomestotheirmeaningsandconnotations.Strictlyspeaking,thereissomedifferencebetweenthetwowords.Theword‘mandatory’isgenerallyusedinthesenseof‘binding’.Ontheotherhand,theword‘compulsory’isgenerallyusedinthesenseof‘essential’.Thisisthemaindifferencebetweenthetwowords. Itisimportanttonotethatanythingthatismandatoryhasthequalityofbindingthedoertothework.Ontheotherhand,anythingthatiscompulsoryhastobeessentiallydonewithoutpostponement.Theword‘compulsory’oftenreferstothingsorrequirements.Ontheotherhand,theword‘mandatory’oftenreferstoconditions.... Share Improvethisanswer Follow editedApr13,2017at12:38 CommunityBot 1 answeredMar9,2013at20:56 JamesWaldby-jwpat7JamesWaldby-jwpat7 7,38011goldbadge2020silverbadges2525bronzebadges 3 3 I'vedeletedmyownanswerinfavourofthis,whichismorecomprehensive. – FumbleFingers Mar9,2013at21:08 WOW!Thisanswersolvedsomeofmyproblemsexceptone!Iwantedtoaskthemonebyonemyself!:)( – PersianCat Mar9,2013at21:56 1 Iwouldadd(withoutrefs)thatXismandatorymeansXisarequirement;Xiscompulsorymeanssomethingcompelsonetouse/doX.Somemandatorythingshavefewornoteethbehindthemtoenforcetherequirement.Thingsthatarecompulsoryaretypicallybackedupbysomeforce.Theconsequencesofnotrespectingcompulsoryaretypicallymoreserious,withmorelikelyandstricterenforcment.Amandatoryprogrammingparameterisonethatisnotoptional-theconsequencesofomittingitarenotseismic.Acompulsoryprisonsentenceisonethatyouwillnotavoid. – Drew Sep7,2014at21:50 Addacomment  |  8 TheauthorsoftheOxfordLearner'sThesaurusarguethat"compulsoryisusedespeciallyinthecontextsofeducation,business,andemployment.Mandatoryisusedespeciallyinthecontextofthelaw.Obligatoryisoftenusedtotalkaboutrulesandlawsrelatingtosafety,forexampleinsportortheworkplace." TheauthorsoftheLongmanCollocationsDictionaryaddthatmandatoryismoreformalthancompulsoryorobligatoryandsoundsstronger. Obligatorycanalsobeusedhumorously.Itisalmostneverusedintheattributiveposition. Share Improvethisanswer Follow editedDec8,2013at19:31 answeredDec8,2013at19:19 AlexB.AlexB. 43433silverbadges1010bronzebadges Addacomment  |  3 Compulsorycomesfromcompel-whichmeanstomakesomethinghappen. Mandatorycomesfrommandate-whichmeanstosaysomethingshould happen. Obligatorycomefromobligation-whichismeanssomethingis expected. Socompulsoryhasmoreofasensethatitwillbeenforcedwithsomesortofpunishment. Share Improvethisanswer Follow answeredMay21,2015at1:35 MoolricMoolric 7611bronzebadge 4 Etymologycanbehelpful,butitalmostnevertellsthewholestoryofmeanings,nuances,andimplications.(Andifyouthinkitislesslikelythataking'smandateswillbeenforcedwithpunishmentthanhisstatutes,you'vegotanotherthinkcoming.) – NathanTuggy May21,2015at1:49 1 Ithinkthatwithalittlemoreexplanation,thismightbeaninterestingwaytothinkaboutthedifference.Idothinkthoughthatthreatofpunishmentisn'twhatmakescompulsorydifferentfrommandatory.Ihavecertainthingsatmyworkthataredescribedbyourmanagementasmandatory.Forexample,takingcertaintrainingtoensurethatIunderstandourregulatorycompliancerulesismandatory.IfIdon'tdothetraining,Iwillbepunishedorfired. – ColleenV May21,2015at2:05 OhIagreethatinalotofcasestheyarefunctionallythesame,andit'sjustthefeelofthemthatisdifferent.Butithinkwithedgecaseslikeifsomethingwasgoingtobephysicallyenforcedyou'dusecompulsory,especiallyifthecompulsorythingwassomethingyou'dreallyrathernotdo.Inwhichcasemandatorysoundsabitlikedoublespeak.Foregifyouwerewritingadystopiansci-finovel. – Moolric May22,2015at3:16 Orifyouweretalkingaboutanunwrittenrulesuchasintheexpression"compulsoryheterosexuality".It'snotwrittenanywherebutitisoftenenforcedthroughsocialstigmaandviolence. – Moolric May22,2015at3:23 Addacomment  |  Youmustlogintoanswerthisquestion. 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