If you’ve ever heard someone use the word “imperative” before, you may have wondered to yourself what this word means. The imperative meaning is vital, urgent, or commanding. In this article, we’ll dive deeper to explain this intriguing word so you can the correct and current usage of the word.
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What Does Imperative Mean?
Imperative is both an adjective and a noun.
When you describe something as imperative, you communicate that the topic is of extreme importance. For instance, if you are going to a job interview, it is imperative that you show up on time.
Imperative can also be used to describe something that is particularly commanding—like someone’s strong and authoritative word choice.
How about as a noun? Imperative means something extremely crucial. It can also mean a command, a rule, or a duty.
Tip: You may also encounter the term “imperative verb.” This does not mean that the word “imperative” itself is acting as a verb form. Instead, this term refers to statements in which you tell someone an action to take. For instance, if you say, “Help me!” that’s an imperative sentence, with the word “help” as the imperative verb.
Where Does the Word Imperative Come From?
Imperative stems from late Latin, where “in” meaning “towards” was combined with “parare” which means “to arrange or make ready.” The resulting word “imperare” was used to mean “to command”. This eventually evolved into “imperativus”, which had a similar meaning before it became the word we know today—imperative—during the times of late Middle English.
Example sentences
- As a parent, it is a moral imperative to keep your kids safe.
- It is absolutely imperative that this project is submitted by midnight.
- There is a societal imperative to stay home when you are sick.
- Nobody appreciated his imperative tone of voice.
- Buying the plane tickets tonight is imperative. If you don’t, they’ll sell out.
- It’s imperative that you call me back ASAP—I have something urgent to tell you.
When and How to Use Imperative?
In its adjective form, you should use the word imperative when you want to indicate that a subject involved in your sentence is of crucial importance. In its noun form, use imperative when it’s an urgent thing.
Tip: If you’re trying to decide when to use imperative as a noun, ask yourself—would I replace this word with “crucial responsibility” or “important duty”? If the answer is yes, you are probably in a good situation to use the word imperative.
When using this word, remember the imperative meaning rules we discussed in this article—this word is not to be taken lightly, and it means that something is actually of utmost importance.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you’re now familiar with the ins and outs of imperative meaning and usage rules. Again, the word imperative can be a noun or an adjective. The adjective imperative can describe things that are crucial or urgent. It can also refer to things that are commanding. Don’t forget that an imperative verb is different, as this verb type tells someone else what to do.
