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Mandatory vs Lawful - What's the difference?

mandatory | lawful |

As adjectives the difference between mandatory and lawful

is that mandatory is obligatory; required or commanded by authority while lawful is conforming to, or recognised by law or rules.

As a noun mandatory

is a person, organisation or state who receives a mandate; a mandatary.

mandatory

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Obligatory; required or commanded by authority.
    • Attendance at a school is usually mandatory .
  • * 1999 , Ian Stewart, Jack Cohen, Figments of Reality: The Evolution of the Curious Mind , page 276
    • This kind of immediate control structure we take to be characteristic of the tribe, and it leads to a rather rigid type of system in which 'every action not mandatory is forbidden'.
  • Of, being or relating to a mandate.
    • Mandatory Palestine

    Synonyms

    * compulsory * obligatory

    Antonyms

    * (obligatory) optional * (obligatory) elective

    Derived terms

    * mandatoriness

    Noun

    (mandatories)
  • (dated, rare) A person, organisation or state who receives a mandate; a mandatary.

    • External links

    * * * Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary * The Oxford English Dictionary

    Anagrams

    *

    lawful

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Conforming to, or recognised by law or rules.

    • Synonyms

    * just * legitimate * licit

    Antonyms

    * unlawful

    Derived terms

    * lawfully