compulsoriness

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

com•pul•so•ry /kəmˈpʌlsəri/   adj., n., pl. -ries. 
adj. 

1. put into force by law or rules;
   obligatory:
   compulsory routines in the ice-skating competition.
2. using compulsion;
   compelling;
   forceful:
   compulsory measures to control rioting.

n. [countable]

3. something that must be done as part of a contest:
   In the compulsories she scored the highest of all the ice skaters.

com•pul•so•ri•ly, adv. 
com•pul•so•ri•ness, n. [uncountable] See -puls-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

com•pul•so•ry  (kəm pul′sə rē), adj., n., pl. -ries. 
adj. 

1. required;
   mandatory;
   obligatory:
   compulsory education.
2. using compulsion;
   compelling;
   constraining:
   compulsory measures to control rioting.

n. 

3. something, as an athletic feat, that must be performed or completed as part of a contest or competition:
   The ice skater received a higher score on the compulsories than on her freestyle performance.

• Medieval Latin compulsōrius, equivalent. to Latin compul-, variant stem of compellere (see compel) + -sōrius, for -tōrius -tory¹; compare compulsive
• 1510–20

com•pul′so•ri•ly, adv. 
com•pul′so•ri•ness, n. 
Antonyms

• 1, 2. voluntary.