Mandatory, Compulsory and Obligatory
2023-09-09
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1Hi there! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between "mandatory," "compulsory," and "obligatory."
2Hello. My name is Nelson, and I'm from Nicaragua.
3Can you help me to understand the difference between "compulsory," "mandatory" and "obligatory?"
4Thank you in advance,
5Nelson.
6This is a great question, Nelson.
7These three adjectives have the same meaning, so they are synonyms.
8They share a basic definition of "required."
9But there are some slight differences in how often we use each. Let's start with the most common, "mandatory."
10Mandatory comes from the word "mandate," which means to give authority to act or as a noun means an official order.
11Something that is "mandatory" is the result of that action or order. It usually comes from a law or rule.
12This is the most common of the three words in question because it is often used in everyday conversations.
13We use it to describe something that is required by a mandate, law, or rule.
14In most public high schools, there is mandatory testing every year.
15Seatbelts are mandatory in the U.S. If you do not wear a seatbelt, you are breaking the law.
16"Compulsory" is the second most common adjective out of the three, so it is used less often than "mandatory.
17It also means required by law. We often use it to describe education and military service.
18Many countries in the world have compulsory military service like Ukraine, South Korea, and Egypt.
19Massachusetts became the first place in the United States to have compulsory schooling for children in the year 1642.
20The least common adjective is "obligatory," but it is the most formal of the three.
21It means the same as "mandatory" and "compulsory," but also has other meanings.
22We use "obligatory" not just for laws or rules, but we use it to describe obligations that are based on moral or social instances.
23Social media is now the obligatory way to message friends because young people do not like to talk on the phone.
24Another way we use obligatory is when we are talking about something that people have stereotypically used but is not really needed.
25Many movies for young people feature obligatory dance scenes at the end of the film.
26The obligatory two-week notice before you quit your job is common in the U.S. but not required by law.
27Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you, Nelson.
28Do you have a question about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com.
29And that's Ask a Teacher.
30I'm Faith Pirlo.
1Hi there! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between "mandatory," "compulsory," and "obligatory." 2Question: 3Hello. My name is Nelson, and I'm from Nicaragua. 4Can you help me to understand the difference between "compulsory," "mandatory" and "obligatory?" 5Thank you in advance, 6Nelson. 7Answer 8This is a great question, Nelson. These three adjectives have the same meaning, so they are synonyms. They share a basic definition of "required." But there are some slight differences in how often we use each. Let's start with the most common, "mandatory." 9Mandatory 10Mandatory comes from the word "mandate," which means to give authority to act or as a noun means an official order. Something that is "mandatory" is the result of that action or order. It usually comes from a law or rule. 11This is the most common of the three words in question because it is often used in everyday conversations. We use it to describe something that is required by a mandate, law, or rule. 12In most public high schools, there is mandatory testing every year. 13Seatbelts are mandatory in the U.S. If you do not wear a seatbelt, you are breaking the law. 14Compulsory 15"Compulsory" is the second most common adjective out of the three, so it is used less often than "mandatory. It also means required by law. We often use it to describe education and military service. 16Many countries in the world have compulsory military service like Ukraine, South Korea, and Egypt. 17Massachusetts became the first place in the United States to have compulsory schooling for children in the year 1642. 18Obligatory 19The least common adjective is "obligatory," but it is the most formal of the three. It means the same as "mandatory" and "compulsory," but also has other meanings. 20We use "obligatory" not just for laws or rules, but we use it to describe obligations that are based on moral or social instances. 21Social media is now the obligatory way to message friends because young people do not like to talk on the phone. 22Another way we use obligatory is when we are talking about something that people have stereotypically used but is not really needed. 23Many movies for young people feature obligatory dance scenes at the end of the film. 24The obligatory two-week notice before you quit your job is common in the U.S. but not required by law. 25Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you, Nelson. 26Do you have a question about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com. 27And that's Ask a Teacher. 28I'm Faith Pirlo. 29Faith Pirlo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 30__________________________________________________ 31Words in This Story 32authority - n. a leadership figure or government 33obligation - n. something that you must do because it is morally right