IMPERATIVE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary AI Assistant Dictionary Translate Grammar Thesaurus +Plus Cambridge Dictionary +Plus Games Cambridge Dictionary +Plus My profile +Plus help Log out {{userName}} Cambridge Dictionary +Plus My profile +Plus help Log out Log in / Sign up English (UK) 1 ? true : false } }), searchAutoComplete.changeToLayoutContainer(); tap:AMP.setState({ stateSearch: { autocomplete: stateSearch.dataset != 'wordlists' && stateSearch.term.length 1 } })" / English 1) ? '/autocomplete/amp?dataset=' + stateSearch.dataset + '&q=' + stateSearch.term : 'https://'" 0 && stateHdr.searchDesk ? 'pa pdd chac-sb tc-bd bw hbr-20 hbss lpt-25' : 'hdn'" {{word}} {{#beta}} Beta{{/beta}} {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{^selected}} {{name}} {{/selected}} {{/preferredDictionaries}} Meaning of imperative in English imperative adjective uk Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio /ɪmˈper.ə.tɪv/ us Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio /ɪmˈper.ə.t̬ɪv/ imperative adjective (URGENT) Add to word list Add to word list C2 extremely important or urgent: [ + that ] The president said it was imperative that the release of all hostages be secured. [ + to infinitive ] It's imperative to act now before the problem gets really serious. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases Very important or urgent all-important at all costs idiom be a matter of life and/or death idiom cardinally chief last but not least idiom leading life-altering life-and-death life-changing overriding pressingly prestigious prestigiously primacy primary tectonic vitally weightily weighty See more results » imperative adjective (GRAMMAR) language   specialized used for giving an instruction or order: imperative clause The rule that there must be a subject applies only to declarative and interrogative clauses, and not to imperative clauses. imperative form In the phrase "Leave him alone!", the verb "leave" is in the imperative form. imperative mood A command is a statement in the imperative mood expressed by the infinitive form of the verb as a request for action, as in "Come here." Compare declarative exclamative interrogative SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases Linguistics: verb forms, tenses & types of verbs accusative active voice aorist art bent conjugate conjugation imperfect main verb modal modality non-finite non-progressive passive voice tense transitively transitivity unconjugated wast wilt See more results » Grammar Clause typesThere are four basic types of main clause: declaratives (statements), interrogatives (questions), imperatives (orders/instructions) and exclamatives (used for exclamations). … Declarative clausesDeclarative clauses most commonly function as statements. The usual word order is subject (s) + verb (v) + x. Declaratives can be affirmative or negative. They make statements about how things are and how they are not. … Interrogative clausesInterrogative clauses most commonly function as questions. The usual word order is (wh-word) + auxiliary/modal verb (aux/m) + subject + verb + x: … Imperative clausesImperative clauses most commonly function as commands, instructions or orders. The usual word order is verb + x. We do not usually include the subject in an imperative clause. We use the base form of the verb: … Exclamative clausesExclamative clauses usually have one of the following word orders: … Commands and instructionsWe often use an imperative in commands, and we also use must. They both sound very direct: … Giving commandsWe often use an imperative in commands, and we also use must. They both sound very direct: … Giving instructionsWe use instructions to tell someone how to do something. We usually use imperatives. They do not sound too direct in this context: … Imperative clauses (Be quiet!)We use imperative clauses when we want to tell someone to do something (most commonly for advice, suggestions, requests, commands, orders or instructions). … Imperatives with subject pronounsFor emphasis, we can use you in an imperative clause: … Imperatives with doWhen we use the emphatic do auxiliary, it makes an imperative sound more polite and more formal: … Imperatives with let (let’s)We use let to form first person and third person imperatives. … Negative imperativesTo make negative imperatives, we use the auxiliary do + not + the infinitive without to. The full form do not, is rather formal. In speaking, we usually use don’t: … Negative imperatives with subject pronounWe can use emphatic pronoun you or anyone/anybody after don’t in negative imperatives, especially in informal speaking: … Negative imperative of let’sWe often use the phrase let’s not: … Question tags commonly used after imperativesWe sometimes use question tags with imperatives. They make the imperative less direct: … Imperatives as offers and invitationsWe can use imperatives to make offers and invitations: … imperative noun [ C ] uk Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio /ɪmˈper.ə.tɪv/ us Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio /ɪmˈper.ə.t̬ɪv/ imperative noun [C] (GRAMMAR) B2 language   specialized a sentence, word, phrase, or form of a verb that is used for giving an instruction or order: The phrase below is an imperative. in the imperative In the phrase "Leave him alone!", the verb "leave" is in the imperative. Vocatives, such as "daddy" in "Daddy, pick me up!", are not considered subjects of imperatives. Compare declarative exclamative interrogative More examplesFewer examples A sentence that is a command, such as "Stand over there", contains an imperative. The next lesson teaches you how to use the imperative of Spanish verbs correctly. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases Linguistics: verb forms, tenses & types of verbs accusative active voice aorist art bent conjugate conjugation imperfect main verb modal modality non-finite non-progressive passive voice tense transitively transitivity unconjugated wast wilt See more results » imperative noun [C] (URGENT) [ C ] something that is extremely important or urgent: moral imperative Getting the unemployed back to work, said the mayor, is a moral imperative. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases Important and essential things -based amenity at the core of something at the heart of something bare crown jewels focal point foreground fulcrum fundament get down to the nitty-gritty grandaddy meet someone's needs moral imperative mother's milk name the grandaddy of something idiom the heart of something the name of the game idiom you can't make bricks without straw idiom See more results » Grammar Clause typesThere are four basic types of main clause: declaratives (statements), interrogatives (questions), imperatives (orders/instructions) and exclamatives (used for exclamations). … Declarative clausesDeclarative clauses most commonly function as statements. The usual word order is subject (s) + verb (v) + x. Declaratives can be affirmative or negative. They make statements about how things are and how they are not. … Interrogative clausesInterrogative clauses most commonly function as questions. The usual word order is (wh-word) + auxiliary/modal verb (aux/m) + subject + verb + x: … Imperative clausesImperative clauses most commonly function as commands, instructions or orders. The usual word order is verb + x. We do not usually include the subject in an imperative clause. We use the base form of the verb: … Exclamative clausesExclamative clauses usually have one of the following word orders: … Commands and instructionsWe often use an imperative in commands, and we also use must. They both sound very direct: … Giving commandsWe often use an imperative in commands, and we also use must. They both sound very direct: … Giving instructionsWe use instructions to tell someone how to do something. We usually use imperatives. They do not sound too direct in this context: … Imperative clauses (Be quiet!)We use imperative clauses when we want to tell someone to do something (most commonly for advice, suggestions, requests, commands, orders or instructions). … Imperatives with subject pronounsFor emphasis, we can use you in an imperative clause: … Imperatives with doWhen we use the emphatic do auxiliary, it makes an imperative sound more polite and more formal: … Imperatives with let (let’s)We use let to form first person and third person imperatives. … Negative imperativesTo make negative imperatives, we use the auxiliary do + not + the infinitive without to. The full form do not, is rather formal. In speaking, we usually use don’t: … Negative imperatives with subject pronounWe can use emphatic pronoun you or anyone/anybody after don’t in negative imperatives, especially in informal speaking: … Negative imperative of let’sWe often use the phrase let’s not: … Question tags commonly used after imperativesWe sometimes use question tags with imperatives. They make the imperative less direct: … Imperatives as offers and invitationsWe can use imperatives to make offers and invitations: … (Definition of imperative from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press) imperative | American Dictionary imperative adjective us Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio /ɪmˈper·ə·t̬ɪv/ imperative adjective (URGENT) Add to word list Add to word list extremely important or urgent: [ + that clause ] It is imperative that these medical supplies be delivered immediately. imperative noun us Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio /ɪmˈper·ə·t̬ɪv/ imperative noun (GRAMMAR) [ U ]   grammar the mood (= form) of a verb used for giving orders: In the phrase "Leave him alone," the verb "leave" is in the imperative. imperative noun (SOMETHING URGENT) [ C ] something that needs to be done or given attention immediately: The government has a moral imperative to provide equal access to high-quality education for all children. (Definition of imperative from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press) Examples of imperative imperative A balanced combination of declarative and imperative languages is desirable for implementing multi-agent systems. From the Cambridge English Corpus Similar reasoning ultimately resides behind the technological imperative that is part of contemporary biotechnology. From the Cambridge English Corpus The law is also useful for the semantics of a typed imperative language with conventional syntax. From the Cambridge English Corpus It is perhaps not surprising, then, that most uses seen so far have been in the imperative. From the Cambridge English Corpus They were doing so in a way that attempted to reconcile two very different imperatives. From the Cambridge English Corpus There is a time when sexuality is a victory-when it is released from moral imperatives. From the Cambridge English Corpus In this way, the demands of the examination system and the imperative to raise standards of attainment are met. From the Cambridge English Corpus Strictly speaking, the imperative singular is the same form as the bare stem. From the Cambridge English Corpus For such problems, a logical specification of the algorithm is sometimes simpler than an imperative specification. From the Cambridge English Corpus He is interested in the material and functional imperatives that allow the self-maintaining economic order to survive. From the Cambridge English Corpus Conversely, where governments' incentives are at odds with developmental imperatives, policymaking and implementation are vulnerable to economically damaging political opportunism. From the Cambridge English Corpus We're driven and enjoying it; it's a musical imperative. From the Cambridge English Corpus By shedding excess and approaching sung dialogue as if it were speech, singers were to be singing actors - the imperative of a musical dramatic art. From the Cambridge English Corpus It is imperative, then, that we seek ways other than direct elicitation to obtain information on perception. From the Cambridge English Corpus One generalizes both applicative and imperative type variables when the let-bound expression is non-expansive. From the Cambridge English Corpus These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors. Collocations with imperative imperative These are words often used in combination with imperative. Click on a collocation to see more examples of it. categorical imperative For example, the categorical imperative does not admit of degrees of moral goodness or badness, as consequentialist theories do. From the Cambridge English Corpus commercial imperative Nicholson's starting point is the commonly accepted meaning of the word 'fusion' - the commercial imperative that led jazz to get into bed with rock at the end of the 1960s. From the Cambridge English Corpus economic imperative There is an overwhelming economic imperative of growth and wealth creation in this migration to cities. From the Cambridge English Corpus These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors. See all collocations with imperative What is the pronunciation of imperative?   Translations of imperative in Chinese (Traditional) 緊急的, 極重要的, 迫切的… See more in Chinese (Simplified) 紧急的, 极重要的, 迫切的… See more in Spanish imperativo, imperativo/iva [masculine-feminine], imprescindible [masculine-feminine]… See more in Portuguese imperativo, fundamental, imperativo/-va… See more in more languages in Marathi in Japanese in Turkish in French in Catalan in Dutch in Tamil in Hindi in Gujarati in Danish in Swedish in Malay in German in Norwegian in Urdu in Ukrainian in Telugu in Bengali in Czech in Indonesian in Thai in Vietnamese in Polish in Korean in Italian अनिवार्य, अत्यंत महत्वाचे वा तातडीचे… See more （文法）命令法の, （文法）命令法, 必須（ひっす）の… See more zorunlu, şart, mecburi… See more impératif/-ive, à l’impératif, impératif… See more imperatiu… See more gebiedende wijs, noodzakelijk… See more மிக முக்கியமான அல்லது அவசரமான… See more अत्यावश्यक… See more અતિ આવશ્યક… See more bydemåde, absolut nødvendigt, imperativ… See more imperativ, imperativisk, absolut nödvändig… See more kata perintah, sangat mustahak… See more der Imperativ, das Muss, ein Imperativ… See more helt nødvendig, ekstremt viktig, imperativ-… See more لازمی, انتہائی ضروری… See more наказовий, категоричний, настійний… See more తప్పనిసరి, అనివార్యం / చాలా ముఖ్యమైనది లేదా అత్యవసరమైనది… See more অত্যন্ত প্রয়োজনীয়, অপরিহার্য… See more rozkazovací způsob, naléhavý požadavek… See more imperatif, mutlak diperlukan… See more ที่เป็นคำสั่ง, จำเป็น, การสั่ง… See more có tính chất mệnh lệnh, cấp bách, mệnh lệnh… See more konieczny, rozkazujący, rozkaźnikowy… See more 명령형의, 명령형… See more imperativo, necessario… See more Need a translator? 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Translator tool   Browse impenetrable impenetrably impenitent impenitently imperative imperative sentence imperatively imperceptible imperceptibly {{#randomImageQuizHook.filename}} {{#randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes Try a quiz now {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{^randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.filename}} More meanings of imperative All imperative sentence moral imperative categorical imperative See all meanings Word of the Day comfort zone UK Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio /ˈkʌm.fət ˌzəʊn/ US Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio /ˈkʌm.fɚt ˌzoʊn/ a situation in which you feel comfortable and in which your ability and determination are not being tested About this Blog Hitting the nail on the head: idioms with ‘hit’ July 22, 2026 Read More graduation creep" layout="responsive" graduation creep" class="lc1" / New Words graduation creep July 20, 2026 More new words has been added to list To top AI Assistant Contents EnglishAmericanExamplesCollocationsTranslations AI Assistant Facebook Instagram X © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2026 Learn Learn Learn New Words Help In Print Word of the Year 2021 Word of the Year 2022 Word of the Year 2023 Word of the Year 2024 Word of the Year 2025 Develop Develop Develop Dictionary API Double-Click Lookup Search Widgets License Data About About About Accessibility Cambridge English Cambridge University Press & Assessment Consent Management Cookies and Privacy Corpus Terms of Use AI Terms of Use Facebook Instagram X © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2026 {{#displayLoginPopup}} Cambridge Dictionary +Plus Learn more with +Plus Sign up for free and get access to exclusive content: Free word lists and quizzes from Cambridge Tools to create your own word lists and quizzes Word lists shared by our community of dictionary fans Sign up now or Log in Cambridge Dictionary +Plus Learn more with +Plus Create word lists and quizzes for free Sign up now or Log in {{/displayLoginPopup}} {{#displayClassicSurvey}} {{/displayClassicSurvey}} Cambridge Dictionary +Plus My profile +Plus help Log out AI Assistant Dictionary Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English Translations Click on the arrows to change the translation direction. 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