A good required synonym tells your reader why something must happen. Mandatory and compulsory point to a rule, necessary and essential point to a purpose, and obligatory adds a formal, slightly stiff tone.
That difference matters more than it seems. A rule can make a step mandatory even when it is not really needed, and a skill can be essential for a job even when no rule says so. When hunting for another word for required, use the groups below. They file each choice by that reason, which makes matching the word to your sentence easy.
Swatch at a glance
Best swaps
mandatory, compulsory, necessary, essentialPart of speech
Adjective (also the past form of the verb require)Most formal
obligatory, requisite, statutoryMost casual
a must, must-haveStrictest
compulsory, mandatory, bindingAntonyms
optional, voluntary, electiveWatch out
Requested is not a synonym. A requested item is asked for, but you may say no.
Each required synonym, sorted by who sets the rule
Most writers reach for the first word that comes to mind. A better habit is to ask who or what makes the thing a must.
| Source | Words | Sample line |
|---|---|---|
| A rule, law or policy | mandatory, compulsory, obligatory, statutory, binding | Safety training is mandatory for new staff. |
| The task itself | necessary, needed, essential, indispensable | A charger is essential for the trip. |
| A school or course | set, assigned, core, compulsory | Two set texts are on the exam. |
| Custom or manners | expected, customary, standard, de rigueur | A tie is expected at the dinner. |
Soft nudge or hard rule?
Pressure rises as you move along the five colored chips. Expected is the softest: custom or a manager asks for it, but no rule enforces it. Needed and necessary say you will struggle without it. Mandatory says a rule demands it, and compulsory says there is no exception at all.
Compulsory turns up often in British schools and in talk about voting. Americans more often say mandatory or required. Statutory is narrower still: it means a law, not just a company, sets the duty.
Before and after: swapping required in real lines
- A valid ID is required at the door becomes a valid ID is mandatory at the door.
- The required skills for this role become the essential skills for this role.
- Attendance is required on Friday becomes attendance is compulsory on Friday.
- The required paperwork becomes the necessary paperwork.
- Required reading for the seminar becomes set reading for the seminar.
- A deposit is required to book becomes a deposit is needed to book.
A manager drafts a note: "All staff are required to complete the required survey." The double use sounds clumsy. Changing one fixes it: "All staff are required to complete the attached survey," or simply "Please complete the mandatory survey."
Job ads, forms and essays: which word works
Job ads and cover letters: essential and must-have work well for skills. Many listings split skills into essential and desirable, which is clearer than required and preferred. For wording that lands with recruiters, see our resume and career vocabulary.
Forms and policies: mandatory is the standard label for a field you cannot skip. Obligatory sounds old-fashioned on a web form.
Essays: necessary and requisite suit academic tone, as in the requisite data or a necessary condition. Requisite is formal, so use it once rather than in every paragraph.
Required as a verb form
Required can also be a past form of require. In that use, the swaps are verbs: the job required patience becomes the job demanded patience, the job called for patience or the job took patience. Check whether your sentence describes a thing (adjective) or reports an action (verb) before you pick.
Be required to and must are often interchangeable. Guests are required to sign in means the same as guests must sign in, and the shorter version is easier to read.
Near misses to avoid
Requested means asked for, which leaves room to refuse. Important describes value, not duty, so an important step may still be optional. Critical suggests danger if skipped and can sound alarming on a simple checklist. Required and requisite overlap, but requisite rarely follows is: the requisite skills reads well, the skills are requisite sounds stiff.
Opposites of required
Optional is the plain antonym for forms and steps. Voluntary fits actions people choose, like overtime or donations. Elective is the school word for a course you pick yourself. Unnecessary and needless say the thing adds nothing.
- The second email field is optional.
- Joining the club is voluntary.
- She took art as an elective.
Frequently asked questions
Which word replaces required most often?
Mandatory and necessary are the most common. Mandatory points to a rule, while necessary points to a practical need.
Is compulsory the same as mandatory?
Almost. Both mean a rule leaves no choice. Compulsory is heard more in the UK and in schools, while mandatory is more common in American workplaces and on forms.
Which swap sounds the most formal?
Obligatory and requisite are the most formal. Statutory is formal too, but only fits duties set by law.
What is another word for required in a job description?
Essential and must-have are clear choices. You can also write needed or expected, as in five years of experience is expected.
What is the opposite of required?
Optional is the usual opposite. Voluntary, elective and discretionary also work depending on the setting.
Can I use needed instead of required?
Yes, in most everyday sentences. Needed sounds friendlier and less official, so it suits emails and instructions where you do not want to sound strict.