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imperative (adj.)

1520s, in grammar, from Late Latin imperativus "pertaining to a command," from imperat-, past participle stem of imperare "to command, requisition," from assimilated form of in- "into, in" (from PIE root *en "in") + parare "to arrange, prepare, adorn" (from PIE root *pere- (1) "to produce, procure").

imperative (n.)

mid-15c., in grammar; later "something imperative" (c. 1600), from Old French imperatif in the grammatical sense (13c.) and directly from Late Latin imperativus (see imperative (adj.)). In philosophy from 1796.

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Definitions of imperative from WordNet
1
imperative (n.)
a mood that expresses an intention to influence the listener's behavior;
Synonyms: imperative mood / jussive mood / imperative form
imperative (n.)
some duty that is essential and urgent;
2
imperative (adj.)
requiring attention or action;
requests that grew more and more imperative
as nuclear weapons proliferate, preventing war becomes imperative
imperative (adj.)
relating to verbs in the imperative mood;
From wordnet.princeton.edu