the imperative
noun
grammar
: the form that a verb or sentence has when it is expressing a command
"Eat your spinach!" is in the imperative.
Examples of the imperative in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Hardest to swallow — apart from the roll — was the imperative to do nothing but calmly eat while eating calmly.
—
Caity Weaver, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025
Confirm or evolve the organization, making sure the right people are in the roles to deliver the imperative together.
—George Bradt, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
And people might recall that as a result of that, the president dispatched Secretary Blinken and me to Mexico to meet with the president and members of his cabinet to speak of the imperative of funding the enforcement agency.
—Steve Inskeep, NPR, 15 Jan. 2025
For leaders, the imperative is twofold: Invest with Precision: Focus on initiatives that unlock value from previous investments while building for the future.
—Peter Bendor-Samuel, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for the imperative 
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Caity Weaver, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025
Confirm or evolve the organization, making sure the right people are in the roles to deliver the imperative together.
—George Bradt, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
And people might recall that as a result of that, the president dispatched Secretary Blinken and me to Mexico to meet with the president and members of his cabinet to speak of the imperative of funding the enforcement agency.
—Steve Inskeep, NPR, 15 Jan. 2025
For leaders, the imperative is twofold: Invest with Precision: Focus on initiatives that unlock value from previous investments while building for the future.
—Peter Bendor-Samuel, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for the imperative
Dictionary Entries Near the imperative
Cite this Entry
“The imperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20imperative. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.
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