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
The damage is less to the defendant than to old-fashioned notions about the presumption of innocence and the imperative of preserving an impartial and independent Department of Justice.
—
Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
As colleges continue to close at record rates, the imperative to attract tuition dollars and research grants increasingly dictates institutional priorities.
—Chris Wegemer, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2025
So that was the imperative that the president was talking about.
—ABC News, 28 Sep. 2025
The mode is one of willing commendation, trading on the imperative, hortative and jussive moods, the latter two of which have long disappeared from the English tongue.
—Elaine L. Wang
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the imperative
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Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
As colleges continue to close at record rates, the imperative to attract tuition dollars and research grants increasingly dictates institutional priorities.
—Chris Wegemer, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2025
So that was the imperative that the president was talking about.
—ABC News, 28 Sep. 2025
The mode is one of willing commendation, trading on the imperative, hortative and jussive moods, the latter two of which have long disappeared from the English tongue.
—Elaine L. Wang
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the imperative
Cite this Entry
“The imperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20imperative. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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