What does compulsorily mean?
Compulsorily is a formal adverb meaning 'in a way that is required rather than chosen.' It describes actions imposed by law, regulation, contract, or authority, distinguishing them from voluntary ones. Typical contexts include employment and administration: workers may be compulsorily enrolled in a pension scheme, compulsorily transferred to another post, or compulsorily retired on reaching a set age. The word derives from the adjective 'compulsory', which traces back through medieval Latin 'compulsorius' to the Latin verb 'compellere', meaning 'to drive together' or 'to force' — the same root behind 'compulsion' and 'compulsive'. Compulsorily appears most often in legal, governmental, and bureaucratic writing, and it is markedly more at home in British and Commonwealth English than in American usage, where writers tend to prefer 'mandatorily' or to rephrase with constructions like 'is required to'. Its tone is neutral but institutional, signalling constraint by external authority rather than personal inclination.
adverbIn a manner that is required by law, rule, or obligation; mandatorily, as opposed to voluntarily.
- In a manner required by law, rule, or authority; mandatorily rather than by choice.
"Attendance at the safety briefing is compulsory for all staff."
"All employees are compulsorily enrolled in the pension scheme."
"He was compulsorily retired from the army after reaching the mandatory age limit."
The word hides a Latin verb meaning 'to drive together' — the same root that gives us 'repel', so 'compulsorily' literally means 'driven together by force of rule.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of compulsorily
Compulsorily is formed from the adjective 'compulsory' plus the standard adverbial suffix '-ly'. 'Compulsory' itself entered English from Late Latin 'compulsorius', derived from the Latin verb 'compellere' ('to drive together, to force'), a compound of 'com-' ('together') and 'pellere' ('to drive'). This same root gives English 'compulsion', 'compulsive', and, more distantly, 'repel'. The adverb has been in use since at least the nineteenth century in legal and administrative prose.
Related word forms
How compulsorily is actually used
Formal register, appearing chiefly in legal, administrative, and bureaucratic contexts such as statutes, employment notices, and official reports. It is far more common in British and Commonwealth English than in American English, where 'mandatorily' or phrasing with 'is required' is often preferred. The adverb is somewhat stiff in everyday conversation.
Easily confused with compulsorily
Compulsorily means something is done because it is required by rule or law, while compulsively means it is done as a result of an irresistible inner urge.