precatory

9.9

Expressing a wish or request rather than a command

adjective
/ˈprɛkəˌtɔri/

: precatorio

Her speech contained precatory remarks, urging the audience to consider the impact of their choices on the environment.

Examples

The lawyer included a precatory statement in the contract, requesting that both parties act in good faith.
Precatory Language: Clients may use the wrong language. Wills must contain strong, dispositive language rather than "precatory" language.

Blog text (9)
Congress has, for example, enacted precatory regulations describing the proper treatment of the flag.

Academic text (1999)
During the meeting, the manager made precatory suggestions for improving team collaboration instead of issuing direct orders.

Synonyms

petitionary

vsprecatory

Formal

1 8.8

Asking for something in a formal way

is broader, covering any wish or entreaty not only formal requests

precative

vsprecatory

9.9

To make a humble, urgent request, often like a prayer

is the same meaning but used as an alternative form

supplicatory

vsprecatory

Formal

9.9

Asking for help in a humble, urgent way

is a general wish or entreaty not necessarily humble or prayerful

Antonyms

mandatory

239 3.8

Law or rules say you must do it

commanding

8 4.1

Having a strong presence that makes people pay attention

How Entreating

imploring

6.1

pleading

1 4.1

precatory

9.9

wishful

60 4.0

Surface Forms

precatory positive

Morphology

precatory = precate (opaque) = precate + ory

Derived from a rare/archaic verb 'precate' plus the Latinate adjectival suffix '-ory', so learners unfamiliar with 'precate' cannot reliably derive the meaning.

Etymology

Precatory comes from the Latin root precari, meaning 'to pray' or 'to ask', and is related to the English words pray and prayer. So a precatory request is like a polite wish or request—similar to a prayer—rather than a firm order, which is why such language often does not create a rule that must be followed.