mandatory

Peremptory; obligatory; required; that which must be subscribed to or obeyed.

Mandatory statutes are those that require, as opposed to permit, a particular course of action. Their language is characterized by such directive terms as "shall" as opposed to "may." A mandatory provision is one that must be observed, whereas a directory provision is optional.

An example of a mandatory provision is a law that provides that an election judge must endorse his or her initials on a ballot.

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mandatory adj., adv. absolutely demanded or required.

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mandatory adjective binding, bounden, called for, coercive, commanded, commanding, compulsory, decreed, demanded, essential, exigent, imperative, incumbent on, indispensable, involuntary, necessary, necessitous, obligatory, ordained, peremptory, prerequisite, prescribed, pressing, required, requisite, urgent, vital, without appeal, without choice
Associated concepts: mandatory injunction, mandatory reeief, mandatory sentence, mandatory statutory provisions

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See also: binding, compulsory, conclusive, decretal, determinative, essential, exigent, imperative, indispensable, inevitable, involuntary, necessary, obligatory, peremptory, positive, requisite, unavoidable