Compulsory and Mandatory

Compulsory

Compulsory adjective - Forcing one's compliance or participation by or as if by law.
Usage example: compulsory retirement at age 70

Mandatory is a synonym for compulsory in obligatory topic. In some cases you can use "Mandatory" instead the word "Compulsory" as an adjective or a noun, when it comes to topics like obligation, binding, required. popular alternative

Nearby Words: compulsion, compulsive

Mandatory

Mandatory adjective - Forcing one's compliance or participation by or as if by law.
Usage example: the tests are mandatory for all students wishing to graduate

Compulsory is a synonym for mandatory in required topic. You can use "Compulsory" instead an adjective "Mandatory", if it concerns topics such as obligatory, obligation. popular alternative

Nearby Words: mandate, mandated, mandatary, mandating
Cite this Source
Mandatory and Compulsory. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 20, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/compulsory/mandatory
Compulsory & Mandatory. N.p., 2016. Web. 20 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/compulsory/mandatory>.
Mandatory or Compulsory. 2016. Accessed July 20, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/compulsory/mandatory.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "compulsory" and "mandatory" have occurred on timeline