Obligatoriness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The state or condition of being compulsory, where something must be done or followed
2. The characteristic of requiring strict adherence or compliance with a rule or duty
3. The condition that enforces or mandates an action or behavior as necessary or unavoidable

Etymology: "Obligatoriness" is a plain combination of two older English parts: "obligatory," meaning required or binding, and the suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun naming a state or quality. The result describes the condition of being compulsory, as in the obligatoriness of a rule or of a payment. "Obligatory" itself comes from the Latin "obligatorius," built on "obligare," to bind or tie up, which also gave English "obligate" and "oblige." The root image is of something tied fast to a person, so the word carries the sense of a bond that cannot simply be ignored.