How to Use imperative in a Sentence

imperative

1 of 2 adjective
  • People resented his imperative tone of voice.
  • Having a guy like that on the floor with those four is imperative.
    — Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 22 Feb. 2023
  • Which just goes to show that getting those stops will be imperative.
    — Eric Walden, The Salt Lake Tribune, 14 Aug. 2020
  • Sharp blades on all our tools are an imperative to avoid bruising the canes and stems.
    — Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2023
  • Will’s imperative, by his own lights, has been to make a life for Tom.
    — Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 28 June 2018
  • That's imperative when so much of each lap is spent sideways.
    — David Beard, Car and Driver, 3 May 2020
  • The fight to build power is imperative, so that’s our work for when this strike is over.
    — Rebecca Sun, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Aug. 2023
  • That would make success with tourists an imperative, not a bonus.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2023
  • Running around from show to show, your shoe choice is imperative.
    — Halie Lesavage, Harper's BAZAAR, 9 Sep. 2022
  • That means playing the hits — and even among those, the most streamed — is imperative.
    — Rebecca Milzoff, Billboard, 25 Aug. 2022
  • Of course, this goes against the business imperative to grow.
    — Caroline Mimbs Nyce, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2024
  • And maybe there's some sizzling spice, but this isn't imperative.
    — Andi Berlin, The Arizona Republic, 12 June 2021
  • The Bengals found out the hard way that a good line is imperative.
    — cleveland, 17 Feb. 2022
  • As part of that, the academic side of things is imperative for his team.
    — James T. Norman, chicagotribune.com, 11 Feb. 2022
  • Finding ways to save his legs is imperative.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
  • To be clear, there is nothing wrong with a week of takeout, no moral imperative to cook.
    — Jessica Battilana, SFChronicle.com, 13 Nov. 2020
  • With four kids — three of whom are now driving — finding a home with a garage was imperative.
    — Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 2 June 2022
  • Not cooling off too much between now and then will be imperative.
    — Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2026
  • The topics might be heavy, the mood might be heavy, but finding the right words is imperative.
    — Mary Schumacher, chicagotribune.com, 27 Aug. 2019
  • Coffee, of course, is imperative and often the first step for me.
    — Autumn Thatcher, The Salt Lake Tribune, 29 Dec. 2021
  • Giving someone the space and sense of safety to cry in front of you is imperative.
    — Lydia Wang, Women's Health, 25 May 2023
  • Trust is imperative in the hiring process.
    — Colleen Batchelder, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
  • With that struggle, the run game became even more imperative.
    — Giana Han, al, 5 Dec. 2020
  • So know that calling the police is not always imperative in a wreck.
    — Doug Turnbull, ajc, 10 May 2018
  • The scale of wealth concentration in a few hands makes a wealth tax imperative.
    — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2021
  • Now, with each passing day, the imperative to act has been setting in for more countries.
    — Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2020
  • Cold towels, ice packs or face rollers really help and are imperative for me!
    — Melissa Showers, Flow Space, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Getting him in a rhythm early will be imperative.
    — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2026
  • Research is all about the biggest bang, but the imperative for products is bang-for-the-buck.
    — Scott Kirsner, BostonGlobe.com, 6 July 2018
  • To keep the layers from looking too blunt, twisting the hair is imperative.
    — Allure, 7 Sep. 2017

imperative

2 of 2 noun
  • She considers it a moral imperative to help people in need.
  • Here is a war with a clear front line with a clear moral imperative.
    — David Marchese David Marchese Photograph By Mamadi Doumbouya, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2023
  • The stakes are too high, the science too clear, the moral imperative too strong.
    — Margo T. Oge, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Maybe the imperative got in his head, but Taylor can’t put the ball on the ground.
    — Jim Ayello, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Nov. 2020
  • That imperative can either push them to act or restrain them.
    — Phillips P. O’Brien, Foreign Affairs, 29 June 2023
  • In my view, self-care should be a leadership imperative.
    — Turcois Ominek, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
  • Both sides of course have their own imperative for a settlement or at least the pursuit of one.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
  • The suits have a moral imperative to share—and share widely—in this new industry.
    — Andrew Deangelo, Forbes, 28 Apr. 2021
  • In other words, his first imperative was not — did not appear to be — power.
    — New York Times, 7 Mar. 2021
  • The strategies exist, the business case is proven and the moral imperative is clear.
    — Tara Fitzpatrick-Navarro, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • At its heart is one relentless imperative—to rise.
    — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
  • At the same time, there is a very strong imperative for independence.
    — Jonathan Wosen, STAT, 4 Feb. 2026
  • My job as an actor is to look at the human being and to look at the human imperative and to see what that is.
    — David Marchesephotograph By Mamadi Doumbouya, New York Times, 27 Sep. 2021
  • This state supports flow, imperative for extreme sports, rather than a state of overwhelm.
    — Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
  • For many of the veterans involved in the effort, the work feels like a moral imperative.
    — Jennifer Hansler, CNN, 25 Aug. 2021
  • The reason to focus here isn’t just the moral imperative or as a recruitment tool.
    — Joe Karbowski, Forbes, 7 July 2021
  • The reskilling imperative belongs to the C-suite — not the classroom.
    — Rachel Keidan, semafor.com, 7 May 2026
  • In one myth, they are locked in conflict, sparring over the claims of reason and the imperative of power.
    — Corey Robin, The New Yorker, 12 Nov. 2020
  • For many creatives, this is a business imperative that needs to be baked into union contracts.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 28 Feb. 2023
  • For many of us, sheltering in place has been more than a physical imperative.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 28 Oct. 2021
  • The kid ends up getting blown about by words and different requests or imperatives.
    — Carolyn Hax, Detroit Free Press, 24 June 2017
  • There is an economic imperative that this happens and the tech giants are battling it out to own the space.
    — Joe Toscano, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • This is an unmitigated good (and one that is a moral imperative to extend to the rest of the world).
    — Alexis C. Madrigal, The Atlantic, 15 Aug. 2021
  • Getting athletes back to work has been an imperative for coaches, fans, sponsors, and cities.
    — Quartz Staff, Quartz, 9 Dec. 2020
  • No other course of action is equal to the urgent crises and the democratic imperative of our present.
    — Ryan D. Doerfler, The New Republic, 13 Oct. 2020
  • Ukraine’s imperative was to strike back before the Russians had time to regroup.
    — Karen Deyoung, Washington Post, 14 June 2023
  • This is a civic duty and a national imperative.
    — Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • There is also a legal imperative to act quickly.
    — Raymond Umerley, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
  • All this time later, western beats still sounds like an imperative to turn the plastic knife of consumerism back at the ones who wield it.
    — Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 7 Feb. 2026
  • What followed for Willson was a new life on the water and an imperative to shore up the ship and find safe harbor.
    — Kurtis Alexander, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Oct. 2020

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'imperative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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