Peremptory vs Imperative - What's the difference?
peremptory | imperative | Synonyms |
(legal) Precluding debate or expostulation; not admitting of question or appeal; positive; absolute; decisive; conclusive; final.
* 1596 , Francis Bacon, Maxims of the Law , II:
Positive in opinion or judgment; absolutely certain, overconfident, unwilling to hear any debate or argument (especially in a pejorative sense); dogmatic.
* 2003 , Andrew Marr, The Guardian , 6 Jan 03:
(obsolete) Firmly determined, resolute; obstinate, stubborn.
Accepting no refusal or disagreement; imperious, dictatorial.
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* 1999 , Anthony Howard, The Guardian , 2 Jan 99:
essential
(computing theory) Having a semantics that incorporates mutable variables.
(grammar) of, or relating to the imperative mood
Expressing a command; authoritatively or absolutely directive.
* Bishop Hall
(uncountable, grammar) 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.
(countable, grammar) A verb in imperative mood.
(countable) An essential action, a must: something which is imperative.
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Peremptory is a synonym of imperative.
As adjectives the difference between peremptory and imperative
is that peremptory is (legal) precluding debate or expostulation; not admitting of question or appeal; positive; absolute; decisive; conclusive; final while imperative is .peremptory
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- there is no reason but if any of the outlawries be indeed without error, but it should be a peremptory plea to the person in a writ of error, as well as in any other action.
- He marched under a placard reading "End Bossiness Now" but decided it was a little too peremptory , not quite British, so changed the slogan on subsequent badges, to "End Bossiness Soon."
- less surprising than that he had been depressed by a book. Something was making him nibble at the edge of stale ideas as if his sturdy physical egotism no longer nourished his peremptory heart.
- Though today (surveying that yellowing document) I shudder at the peremptory tone of the instructions I gave, Alastair - in that same volume in which I get chastised for my coverage of the Macmillan rally - was generous enough to remark that my memorandum became 'an office classic'.
Anagrams
*References
*imperative
English
Alternative forms
*Adjective
(en adjective)- It is imperative that you come here right now.
- imperative orders
- The suits of kings are imperative .
Noun
- The verbs in sentences like "Do it!" and "Say what you like!" are in the imperative .
- Visiting Berlin is an imperative .
