imperative
/ɪmˈpɛɹ.ə.tɪv/adjective, noun
imperative is spelled I-M-P-E-R-A-T-I-V-E: 10 letters and 4 syllables. It appears 4.6 times per million words in written English, the 11,870th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, imperative means “Essential; crucial; extremely important” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in imperative?
| Letters | 10: I-M-P-E-R-A-T-I-V-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 4.6 times per million words; the 11,870th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is imperative?
Imperative appears 4.6 times per million words in written English, the 11,870th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce imperative?
- UK /ɪmˈpɛɹ.ə.tɪv/
- US /ɪmˈpɛɹ.ə.tɪv/
- US [ɪmˈpɛɹ.ə.ɾɪv]
Imperative has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-imperative.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-imperative.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with imperative?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as imperative from its last stressed vowel (/ɛɹətɪv/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of imperative
- more imperative comparative
- most imperative superlative
- imp.
- imper.
- imperatives plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does imperative mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Essential; crucial; extremely important.
That you come here right now is imperative.
- 2
Of, or relating to the imperative mood.
- 3
Having semantics that incorporates mutable variables.
- 4
Expressing a command; authoritatively or absolutely directive.
imperative orders
noun
- 1
The grammatical mood expressing an order (see jussive). In English, the imperative form of a verb is the same as that of the bare infinitive.
The verbs in sentences like "Do it!" and "Say what you like!" are in the imperative.
- 2
A verb in the imperative mood.
- 3
An essential action, a must: something which is imperative.
Visiting Berlin is an imperative.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate imperative?
Wiktionary records 3 abbreviations of imperative: imp., imper., impv..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Imperative in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | impératif, essentiel, indispensable |
| German | essenziell, essentiell, notwendig, unverzichtbar, wesentlich , zwingend |
| Portuguese | essencial, imperativo , necessidade |
| Spanish | imperativo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does imperative come from?
Borrowed from Latin imperātīvus.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).