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compulsory (adj.)
1580s, "obligatory, arising from compulsion, done under compulsion," from Medieval Latin compulsorius, from Latin compulsus, past participle of compellere "to drive together, force," from com "with, together" (see com-) + pellere "to drive" (from PIE root *pel- (5) "to thrust, strike, drive"). As "coercive, exercising compulsion" from 1630s. As a noun from 1510s, originally "a compulsory means." Related: Compulsories; compulsorily; compulsoriness.
updated on February 17, 2018
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Dictionary entries near compulsory
compromise
Compsognathus
comptroller
compulsion
compulsive
compulsory
compunction
compunctious
computation
computational
compute