The meaning of the word imperative

Adjective

… I have begun to feel each time as if I am mutilating my antennae (which is how Rastafarians, among others, think of hair) and attenuating my power. It seems imperative not to cut my hair anymore.


—Alice Walker, Living by the Word, (1981) 1988


This strange and distorted form of breathing could be interrupted for a minute or two by a strong effort of will, but would then resume its bizarre and imperative character.


—Oliver Sacks, Awakenings, 1973


We had a long and interesting evening with the Katzenbachs. He and Lyndon discussed the imperative need to make Washington a law-abiding city and how to go about it.


—Lady Bird Johnson 27 Jan. 1965,

A White House Diary,  1970



“Eat your spinach!” is an imperative sentence.



“Help” in the sentence “Help me!” is an imperative verb.



a verb in the imperative mood



People resented his imperative tone of voice.

Noun

Ellroy has got to be the only writer who still uses «dig» as an imperative …


—Laura Miller, New York Times Book Review, 20 May 2001


Indeed, under pressure from a new way of life in which radiant heat from woodburning stoves must circulate unimpeded by dividers, virtually every house with a chimney today has abandoned the closed-door imperative of the high-technology kitchen.


—Maxine Kumin, In Deep, 1987


«Maturity» had been a code word … for marriage and settling down; «growth» implied a plurality of legitimate options, if not a positive imperative to keep moving from one insight or experience to the next.


—Barbara Ehrenreich, New York Times Magazine, 20 May 1984



She considers it a moral imperative to help people in need.



“Eat your spinach!” is in the imperative.



“Go” and “buy” are imperatives in the sentence “Please go to the store and buy some milk.”

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Recent Examples on the Web



Determining how to scale your business in today’s environment is crucial, which is why a learning mindset is imperative.


—Monish Darda, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2023




Knowing which emergency room or urgent care center is staffed by pediatricians is also imperative, Rauch said.


—Christina Zdanowicz, CNN, 16 Mar. 2023




This isn’t imperative, just a friendly recommendation.


—Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 16 Mar. 2023




From 17 x 15 x 19 inches | Material: Firm foam interior with various exterior materials Tips for Buying a Dog Car Seat Pick the right fit for your dog Finding the right fit is imperative to keep your dog comfortable and safe during your trip.


—Tara Block, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2023




They will not be easily forfeited, no matter how many times the government argues that changing the pension system is imperative to save it, given the demographic realities confronting the country.


—Catherine Porter, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2023




From starting an organization to having honest conversations with peers, changing your mindset to care advocacy rather than judgment is imperative.


—Evan Nison, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2023




With plans for future lunar base camps, satellites and landers—and hopes of moving deeper into space—officials say timekeeping is imperative.


—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Feb. 2023




Education, a health plan, and a team Giusti wants people to know that a support team is imperative, especially for those with ongoing battles like herself.


—Byalexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 26 Feb. 2023



For Harris, who arrived with an imposing résumé of governmental and corporate experience, the twin imperatives have meant sustaining the state’s nation-leading approach to nurturing the crypto industry while making sure the state doesn’t open its doors to the next Sam Bankman-Fried.


—Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2023




Home is a biological imperative for cats.


—Vidya Athreya, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2023




But hope is a moral imperative.


—Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2022




For Medill, ending slavery was a moral imperative.


—Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2022




Twitter has always strained under competing imperatives.


—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 21 Mar. 2023




For now, Bass’s focus is on homelessness, which is both a humanitarian crisis and a political imperative.


—Emily Witt, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2023




Biden took a different approach a year later that reflected the political imperative of a midterm election year, emphasizing how Democrats were about funding, not defunding the police.


—Mike Memoli, NBC News, 6 Mar. 2023




The dueling—and sometimes conflicting—imperatives are expected to be core topics in Houston starting Monday when oil executives, climate hawks and government officials gather at the industry’s premier annual energy summit.


—Collin Eaton, WSJ, 5 Mar. 2023


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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘imperative.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Источник
Imperative
повелительное наклонение
(1). Приказания, повеления, выраженные формой повелительного наклонения, могут быть усилены словами always и never:

Never believe what he tells you — Никогда не верь тому, что он тебе говорит.


Always think before you say — Всегда прежде подумай, а потом говори.


(2). Императивная форма приказания может быть смягчена модальным оборотом will you, который может стоять в начале или в конце предложения. В последнем случае он отделяется запятой:

Shut the door, will you! — Закрой, пожалуйста, дверь!


Императивное приказание может быть смягчено также словом please, которое может стоять как в начале, так и в конце предложения:

Please, don’t say that.


Come in, please.


(5). Форма императива с последующими союзами and и or и вторым глаголом в форме Future передает значения условия (if или if not):

Ask any policeman and he’ll tell you — Спроси любого полицейского (Если ты спросишь…), и он тебе скажет.


Say that again and I’ll beat you — Попробуй сказать это еще раз, и я тебя стукну.


Hurry up or you’ll be late — Поторопись, а то опоздаешь.


(4). Убедительные просьбы могут передаваться использованием двух императивных форм глаголов, связанных союзом and:

Come and have a talk with me — Приходи поговорить.


Такие словосочетания обозначают одно действие и обычно относятся к будущему.

English-Russian word troubles.
2014.

Смотреть что такое «Imperative» в других словарях:

  • Imperative — Im*per a*tive, a. [L. imperativus, fr. imperare to command; pref. im in + parare to make ready, prepare: cf. F. imp[ e]ratif. See {Perade}, and cf. {Empire}.] 1. Expressive of command; containing positive command; authoritatively or absolutely… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Imperative — can mean: *Imperative mood, a grammatical mood expressing commands, direct requests, and prohibitions *Imperative programming, a programming paradigm in computer science *Moral imperative, a philosophical concept relating to obligation …   Wikipedia

  • imperative — I adjective compulsory, critical, crucial, demanding, essential, exigent, impero, indispensable, mandatory, necessary, needful, obligatory, pressing, required, requiring immediate attention, requisite, unavoidable, urgent associated concepts:… …   Law dictionary

  • imperative — [im per′ə tiv] adj. [LL imperativus, commanding < pp. of L imperare, to command: see EMPEROR] 1. having the nature of, or indicating, power or authority; commanding [an imperative gesture] 2. absolutely necessary; urgent; compelling [it is… …   English World dictionary

  • Imperative — Im*per a*tive, n. (Gram.) The imperative mood; also, a verb in the imperative mood. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • imperative — [adj1] necessary acute, burning, clamant, clamorous, compulsory, critical, crucial, crying, essential, exigent, immediate, important, importunate, indispensable, inescapable, insistent, instant, no turning back*, obligatory, pressing, urgent,… …   New thesaurus

  • imperative — 1 peremptory, imperious, *masterful, domineering Analogous words: commanding, ordering, bidding (see COMMAND vb): magisterial, *dictatorial, dogmatic, oracular: arbitrary, autocratic, despotic (see ABSOLUTE) Contrasted words: supplicating or… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • imperative — ► ADJECTIVE 1) of vital importance. 2) giving an authoritative command. 3) Grammar denoting the mood of a verb that expresses a command or exhortation, as in come here! ► NOUN ▪ an essential or urgent thing. DERIVATIVES imperatively adverb …   English terms dictionary

  • imperative — I adj. 1) imperative to + inf. (it is imperative to act now) 2) imperative that + clause; subj. (it is imperative that you be/should be present) II n. 1) a moral imperative 2) an imperative that + clause; subj. (it is a moral imperative that no… …   Combinatory dictionary

  • imperative — I UK [ɪmˈperətɪv] / US adjective 1) formal extremely important and urgent Long term investing is risky, and careful planning is imperative. it is imperative (that): It is imperative that these claims are dealt with quickly. it is imperative to do …   English dictionary

  • imperative — im|per|a|tive1 [ ım perətıv ] adjective 1. ) FORMAL extremely important and urgent: Long term investing is risky, and careful planning is imperative. it is imperative (that): It is imperative that these claims are dealt with quickly. it is… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

Источник

English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

  • imp., imper. (abbreviation, grammar)

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Latin imperātīvus.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (US) IPA(key): /ɪmˈpɛɹ.ə.tɪv/

Adjective[edit]

imperative (comparative more imperative, superlative most imperative)

  1. Essential; crucial; extremely important.

    That you come here right now is imperative.

    • 1941 May, “Jubilee of the City Tube”, in Railway Magazine, page 224:

      Meantime, alterations at King William Street had become imperative, and by December 22, 1895, the station had been remodelled, as at Stockwell, to provide an island platform with lines each side, and a scissors crossing.

    • 2019, Con Man Games; SmashGames, quoting Felix, Kindergarten 2, SmashGames:

      Give this document to Ozzy. It’s imperative that he reads and understands it. Got it?

  2. (grammar) Of, or relating to the imperative mood.
  3. (computing theory) Having semantics that incorporates mutable variables.
    • Antonym: functional
  4. Expressing a command; authoritatively or absolutely directive.

    imperative orders

    • 1612–1626, [Joseph Hall], “(please specify the page)”, in [Contemplations vpon the Principall Passages of the Holy Storie], volume (please specify |volume=II, V, or VI), London, →OCLC:

      The suits of kings are imperative.

Derived term[edit]

  • imperative language
  • imperative programming

Translations[edit]

essential

  • Arabic: أَسَاسِيّ‎ (ar) (ʔasāsiyy), ضَرُورِيّ‎ (ḍarūriyy)
  • Catalan: imperatiu (ca)
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 迫切的 (pòqiè de), 必須的／必须的 (bìxū de), 至關重要的／至关重要的 (zhìguānzhòngyào de)
  • Czech: rozkazovací n, nutný (cs)
  • Dutch: noodzakelijk (nl)
  • Finnish: välttämätön (fi), pakollinen (fi)
  • French: impératif (fr), essentiel (fr), indispensable (fr)
  • German: essenziell (de), essentiell (de), notwendig (de), unverzichtbar (de), wesentlich (de)
  • Greek: επιτακτικός (el) (epitaktikós)
  • Hungarian: okvetlenül/rendkívül/különösen/égetően fontos
  • Icelandic: mikilvægur (is)
  • Italian: imperativo (it) m, necessario (it) m, necessaria (it) f
  • Korean: 긴요한 (ginyohan), 반드 필요한 (bandeu piryohan)
  • Latin: necessus, necessum
  • Plautdietsch: drinjent
  • Polish: arcyważny (pl)
  • Portuguese: essencial (pt), imperativo (pt)
  • Russian: обяза́тельный (ru) (objazátelʹnyj)
  • Scottish Gaelic: àithneach
  • Spanish: imperativo (es)
  • Turkish: mecburi (tr), zorunlu (tr)

grammar: of, or relating to the imperative mood

  • Azerbaijani: əmr şəkli
  • Belarusian: зага́дны (zahádny)
  • Bulgarian: повели́телен (bg) (povelítelen)
  • Catalan: imperatiu (ca)
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 祈使的 (qíshǐ de)
  • Czech: rozkazovací
  • Finnish: imperatiivinen (fi)
  • French: impératif (fr)
  • Hungarian: felszólító (hu), (dated) parancsoló (hu)
  • Italian: imperativo (it)
  • Macedonian: заповеден (zapoveden)
  • Polish: rozkazujący
  • Portuguese: imperativo (pt)
  • Russian: повели́тельный (ru) (povelítelʹnyj)
  • Slovak: rozkazovací
  • Spanish: imperativo (es)
  • Swedish: imperativ (sv)
  • Tagalog: pautos
  • Ukrainian: наказо́вий (nakazóvyj)

computing: having semantics that incorporates mutable variables

  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: please add this translation if you can
  • Finnish: imperatiivinen (fi)
  • Russian: императи́вный (ru) (imperatívnyj)

Noun[edit]

imperative (countable and uncountable, plural imperatives)

  1. (uncountable, grammar) The grammatical mood expressing an order (see jussive). In English, the imperative form of a verb is the same as that of the bare infinitive.

    The verbs in sentences like «Do it!» and «Say what you like!» are in the imperative.

    Synonym: imperative mood
    Coordinate terms: assertoric, interrogative
  2. (countable, grammar) A verb in imperative mood.
  3. (countable) An essential action, a must: something which is imperative.

    Visiting Berlin is an imperative.

    • 2014 March 1, Rupert Christiansen, “English translations rarely sing”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review), page R19:

      Anything grandiose or historically based tends to sound flat and banal when it reaches English, partly because translators get stuck between contradictory imperatives: juggling fidelity to the original sense with what is vocally viable, they tend to resort to a genteel fustian which lacks either poetic resonance or demotic realism, adding to a sense of artificiality rather than enhancing credibility.

    • 2020 December 2, Industry Insider, “The costs of cutting carbon”, in Rail, page 76:

      The new imperative for investment is the Government’s objective to secure carbon-neutral transport emissions by 2040.

Synonyms[edit]

  • required

Derived terms[edit]

  • biological imperative
  • categorical imperative
  • compound imperative
  • first imperative (Latin grammar)
  • hypothetical imperative
  • moral imperative
  • second imperative (Latin grammar)

Translations[edit]

essential action

  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: please add this translation if you can
  • Dutch: must (nl) m
  • Finnish: pakko (fi), pakollinen juttu
  • French: impératif (fr) m
  • German: Muss (de) n
  • Hungarian: elengedhetetlen dolog/követelmény
  • Icelandic: nauðsyn (is) f
  • Italian: imperativo (it) m, necessario (it) m
  • Latin: necessitās f, opus (la) n
  • Maori: tūhau
  • Portuguese: necessidade (pt) f
  • Spanish: imperativo (es) m
  • Turkish: mecburiyet (tr), zorunluluk (tr)

See also[edit]

  • jussive
  • volitive

References[edit]

  • “imperative”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Italian[edit]

Adjective[edit]

imperative f pl

  1. feminine plural of imperativo

Anagrams[edit]

  • impervietà, riempivate

Latin[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

  • inperātīvē

Etymology[edit]

From imperātīvus (“commanded”), from imperō (“command, order”), from im- (form of in) + parō (“prepare, arrange; intend”).

Adverb[edit]

imperātīvē (not comparable)

  1. In an imperative manner, imperatively.

[edit]

  • imperābiliter
  • imperāns
  • imperātīvus
  • imperātōr
  • imperātōriē
  • imperātōrius
  • imperātrīx
  • imperātum
  • imperātus
  • imperiābiliter
  • imperiālis
  • imperiōsē
  • imperiōsus
  • imperitō
  • imperium
  • imperō

References[edit]

  • “imperative”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • imperative in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette

Romanian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): [imperaˈtive]

Noun[edit]

imperative n pl

  1. indefinite plural of imperativ
Источник

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Imperative may refer to:

  • Imperative mood, a grammatical mood (or mode) expressing commands, direct requests, and prohibitions
  • Imperative programming, a programming paradigm in computer science
  • Imperative logic
  • Imperative (film), a 1982 German drama film

In philosophy[edit]

  • Moral imperative, a philosophical concept relating to obligation
  • Categorical imperative, central philosophical concept in the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant
  • Hypothetical imperative, introduced by Immanuel Kant as a commandment of reason that applies only conditionally

Источник

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