Site Map | FAQ

• Editor's Favorites
  • Black History Month
  • 2010 Winter Olympics
  • Valentine's Day
  • Profile of Haiti
  • 2010 Calendar
  • Holidays in America
  • Most Populous Countries
  • H1N1 Overview
  • Countries of the World
  • Top 50 U.S. Cities
  • Color Psychology
  • Most Popular Names
  • The Fifty States

Dictionary

im•per•a•tive

Pronunciation: (im-per'u-tiv), [key]
—adj.
1. absolutely necessary or required; unavoidable: It is imperative that we leave.
2. of the nature of or expressing a command; commanding.
3. Gram.noting or pertaining to the mood of the verb used in commands, requests, etc., as in Listen! Go! Cf. indicative (def. 2), subjunctive (def. 1).

—n.
1. a command.
2. something that demands attention or action; an unavoidable obligation or requirement; necessity: It is an imperative that we help defend friendly nations.
3. Gram.
a. the imperative mood.
b. a verb in this mood.
4. an obligatory statement, principle, or the like.

Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.

imperatival

imperator

• • Cite
  • Print
  • Email
  • Bookmark
    • Add bookmark
    • Add to del.icio.us
    • Digg It!
    • Add to Reddit

Related Content Daily Word Quiz: antediluvian Analogy of the Day: Today's Analogy Spelling Bee: Today's Spelling Bee Kids' Word Quiz: tactful Crossword: Crossword Puzzle Guide Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language

Find definitions for: