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obbligatorio

compulsory

adjective ohb-blee-gah-TOH-ryoh Less Common

Origin: from Latin 'obligatorius'

Also means

mandatory

Usage Note

Obbligatorio is the opposite of facoltativo ('optional') and carries a legal weight, as in scuola obbligatoria ('compulsory schooling'). Note the double b, a common spelling slip.

Examples

"Il casco è obbligatorio."

Natural Translation

The helmet is compulsory.

Literal Translation

The helmet is compulsory.

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