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imperative

[im-per-uh-tiv] / ɪmˈpɛr ə tɪv /




Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

By Nixon’s time, South Vietnam’s survival was no longer a U.S. imperative for reasons that had their reciprocal elsewhere.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

His proposed ballroom “represents another way this presidency has abandoned its imperative of projecting modesty, openness, and stability,” the architect and historian Neil Flanagan complained in the Atlantic this month.

From Slate • May 18, 2026

“The logic is that this is a winner-takes-all race,” Mehta said, “and that it’s imperative to accelerate AI progress to ensure that the United States wins that race.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

"The US has changed. That's their right and we are responding. That is our imperative," the prime minister said in Ottawa.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

With the nation’s security on the line, it was imperative that the most capable people be in the room no matter who they were.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson




Vocabulary lists containing imperative


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