imperative
7
6.0
- noun
- /ɪmˈpɛrətɪv/
- Specialized
:
imperativo
- Using the Categorical Imperative or the Golden Rule is an ought, not an elective way of behaving.
So it's, it's a, it's a hymn in the, in the imperative.
- So it's, it's a, it's a hymn in the, in the imperative.
- And you got to like really know what you're looking for in order to find the injunction or the imperative that is part of this inscription.
- In fact, the main reason for its success, free Mars as a sentence, as an imperative and they had done it.
Examples
-
To a surprising extent, the imperative of assimilation persists after political liberation.
Academic text (1995) -
And in all other cases, the moral imperative must be to hold off.
Academic text (1998) -
"Please do not take this as an imperative, or an order, or a moral obligation.
Fiction book (2001) -
OK, which punctuation mark ends an imperative sentence?
-
Against competition, it is agreed that there is a clear sociological imperative to compete in our society.
Academic text (1992) -
Participation is, therefore, part of the nature of our being and is an ontological imperative.
Academic text (2001) -
The second asks whether there can ever be a moral imperative to act without (or contrary to) orders.
Academic text (1992) -
How many Canadians would not respect the categorical imperative and vote with their feet?
Academic text (1993) -
Failure to observe these imperatives has resulted in a social science that is at once abstract and irresponsible.
Academic text (1995) -
In grammar, an imperative is used to tell someone to do something, like 'Close the door.'
Synonyms
A verb form used to give a command or request
A verb form that gives a command or request
A verb that tells someone to do something, like 'Sit' or 'Be quiet'
Compounds
- Specialized
1
9.9
A moral rule that applies to everyone and comes from duty, not personal wants or results
- Formal
A rule that says to do something only if you want a certain result
- Specialized
A way of writing programs that tells the computer what to do step by step and how to change values
Surface Forms
Morphology
imperative = imperate (opaque) = imperate + ive
Although historically formed from 'imperate' + '-ive', 'imperate' is rare and the grammatical term is a technical borrowing, so learners will not reliably infer the meaning from the parts.
Etymology
Imperative comes from the Latin imperare, which means 'to command'. In grammar, an imperative is the verb form or sentence that tells someone to do something, like a direct command or request.