Compulsory and Obligatory

Compulsory

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

Obligatory is a synonym for compulsory in obligation topic. In some cases you can use "Obligatory" instead an adjective "Compulsory", when it comes to topics like binding, mandatory, required. popular alternative

Nearby Words: compulsion, compulsive

Obligatory

Obligatory adjective - Forcing one's compliance or participation by or as if by law.
Usage example: in this state, school attendance is obligatory until the age of 16

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

Nearby Words: obligation, obliging, obligate, obligatorily, obligating
Cite this Source
Obligatory and Compulsory. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 20, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/compulsory/obligatory
Compulsory & Obligatory. N.p., 2016. Web. 20 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/compulsory/obligatory>.
Obligatory or Compulsory. 2016. Accessed July 20, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/compulsory/obligatory.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "compulsory" and "obligatory" have occurred on timeline