Meanings
plural imperative moods
- grammarThe grammatical mood generally expressing a command, though also used to express a request or permission.
Go to the gates of Bourdeaux, trumpeter: Summon their general unto the wall.
1591, Shakespeare, King Henry VI, part 11 more example
According to the definition of the imperative, this mood can express nothing but a command. Yet verbs of imperative form may also express entreaty or permission, as may, indeed, the indicative and the generally so-called potential.
1879, Kentucky Public DocumentsSynonyms: imperative, imperative mode
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe grammatical mood generally expressing a command, though also used to express a request or permission.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna mood that expresses an intention to influence the listener's behavior
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Ancient Greek προστακτική
- προστακτική (prostaktikḗ)imperative mood
Arabic أَمْر
- أَمْر (ʔamr)imperative mood
Bulgarian повели́телно наклоне́ние
- повели́телно наклоне́ние (povelítelno naklonénie)imperative mood
Chinese Mandarin 祈使語氣 /祈使语气
- 祈使語氣 /祈使语气 (qíshǐ yǔqì)imperative mood
Czech rozkazovací způsob, imperativ
- rozkazovací způsobimperative mood
- imperativimperative mood
Danish bydeform
- bydeformimperative mood
Dutch gebiedende wijs, imperatief
- gebiedende wijsimperative mood
- imperatiefimperative mood
- imperativusimperative mood
Esperanto imperativo
- imperativoimperative mood
Estonian käskiv
- käskivimperative mood
Finnish imperatiivi, käskytapa
- imperatiiviimperative mood
- käskytapaimperative mood
French impératif
- impératifimperative mood
German Imperativ, Befehlsform
- Imperativimperative mood
- Befehlsformimperative mood
Greek προστακτική
- προστακτική (prostaktikí)imperative mood
Hungarian felszólító mód, imperativusz
- felszólító módimperative mood
- imperativuszimperative mood
Icelandic boðháttur, bh.
- boðhátturimperative mood
- bh.imperative mood
Italian imperativo
- imperativoimperative mood
Japanese 命令法
- 命令法 (meireihō)imperative mood
Korean 명령법, 시킴법
- 명령법 (myeongnyeongbeop)imperative mood
- 시킴법 (sikimbeop)imperative mood
Latin imperativus
- imperativusimperative mood
Latvian pavēles izteiksme, pavēle
- pavēles izteiksmeimperative mood
- pavēleimperative mood
Lithuanian liepiamoji nuosaka
- liepiamoji nuosakaimperative mood
Māori tūhau
- tūhauimperative mood
Persian امری
- امری (amri)imperative mood
Polish tryb rozkazujący, rozkaźnik
- tryb rozkazującyimperative mood
- rozkaźnikimperative mood
- imperatiwusimperative mood
- imperativusimperative mood
Portuguese imperativo
- imperativoimperative mood
Romanian mod imperativ, imperativ
- mod imperativimperative mood
- imperativimperative mood
Russian повели́тельное наклоне́ние, императи́в
- повели́тельное наклоне́ние (povelítelʹnoje naklonénije)imperative mood
- императи́в (imperatív)imperative mood
Scottish Gaelic modh àithneach
- modh àithneachimperative mood
Slovak rozkazovací spôsob, imperatív
- rozkazovací spôsobimperative mood
- imperatívimperative mood
Spanish modo imperativo
- modo imperativoimperative mood
Swedish imperativ
- imperativimperative mood
Tagalog panaganong pautos
- panaganong pautosimperative mood
Turkish emir kipi
- emir kipiimperative mood
Ukrainian наказо́вий спо́сіб
- наказо́вий спо́сіб (nakazóvyj spósib)imperative mood
Vietnamese mệnh lệnh thức
- mệnh lệnh thứcimperative mood
Cite this entry
imperative mood. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/imperative%20mood
“imperative mood.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/imperative%20mood. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “imperative mood,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/imperative%20mood.
Source: imperative mood on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.