Peremptory
— dictatorial; allowing no refusal
Peremptory means insisting on immediate obedience without any discussion or refusal — dictatorial, commanding, and absolute. A peremptory order leaves no room for negotiation. A peremptory tone shuts down debate before it starts.
The word describes a style of authority that is blunt and final. A peremptory boss does not ask — they command. A peremptory dismissal is swift and unchallengeable. In legal contexts, a peremptory challenge allows a lawyer to reject a juror without giving any reason. In every usage, the word implies authority exercised without explanation or appeal.
Do you know what Peremptory means?
Answer a question to start building your vocabulary.
Memory Mnemonic
PER EMPTY
The keyword PER EMPTY comes from how Peremptory sounds when spoken aloud. This pronunciation connection makes it easy to recall the keyword whenever you hear or see the word.
Memory Link
"PER my orders, EMPTY everything now!" the boss commanded—dictatorial, allowing no refusal!
Imagine the boss barking: "PER my orders, EMPTY everything now!" — no discussion, no questions, no refusal allowed. Visualise the boss pointing at the shelves, face stern, voice absolute, everyone scrambling to obey without daring to ask why. That dictatorial, unchallengeable command that allows zero pushback is peremptory.
HOW TO MEMORIZE VOCABULARY
There are 3 steps to effectively memorising vocabulary.
Step 1: Derive a keyword from the word based on how the word is spelled or pronounced. Next time you see the word, you will be able to derive the keyword from it because it is based on the word.
Step 2: Form a visual memory link that connects the keyword and the meaning(s) of the word you are learning.
Step 3: Ensure to Visualise the image, see it in your imagination. This is important even if it takes a few seconds.
Usage Examples
- The general issued a peremptory command to evacuate the building immediately.
- Her peremptory tone left no doubt that the matter was not open for discussion.
- The chairman's peremptory dismissal of the proposal angered several board members.
- He raised his hand in a peremptory gesture, silencing the room instantly.
- The judge's peremptory ruling brought the lengthy proceedings to an abrupt end.
Etymology of Peremptory
From Latin peremptorius, meaning "deadly, decisive, final," derived from perimere (to destroy, to take away entirely), from per- (completely) + emere (to take). The word entered English in the early 16th century and evolved from "final and decisive" to its current sense of commanding obedience without allowing any refusal.
Synonyms & Antonyms of Peremptory
Synonyms
Antonyms
Common Collocations with Peremptory
You've Learned It. Now Make Sure You Never Forget It.
The mnemonic visualisation above helps you learn this word instantly — no rote memorisation needed. But to move it into long-term memory, you still need to review it a few times.
This is where spaced repetition comes in — it shows you words right before you're about to forget them, so you spend less time reviewing and remember more. After just a few spaced reviews, you'll start recalling the meaning naturally — without even needing the keyword or memory link.
Built In Spaced Repetition
You've learned this word using our mnemonic system — but to truly lock it into long-term memory, you need to review it at the right time. That's where spaced repetition comes in.
Our built-in spaced repetition system shows you words just before you're about to forget them, so you review less and remember more. After a few reviews, you'll recall the meaning naturally — without even needing the keyword or memory link.
Explore Word List
You can explore the Word List for a pack from the dashboard. Once you have selected a pack, just clicks Words
Visualisation Help
Visualising the memory link is the most important step — it's what makes you remember the word on the very first try. Don't just read the memory link. Close your eyes and see it play out in your imagination.
The more vivid and detailed your mental image, the stronger the memory. Every word on VocabularyFast comes with a visualisation audio guide. Just look at the image, hit play, and follow the audio as it walks you through the scene.
This takes only a few seconds but makes all the difference between forgetting a word tomorrow and remembering it for life.
Test Yourself With Quizzes
Quizzes are the fastest way to check if you've truly learned a word. Pick from two modes — see the word and recall the meaning, or see the meaning and recall the word.
Both directions strengthen your memory in different ways. Each quiz is 10 questions, so it only takes a minute or two. Take a quiz anytime to quickly spot which words need more review.
Learn In Focused Groups
Words in each pack are organized into smaller, meaningful groups — not random lists. Each group contains words that share a theme, difficulty level, or frequency of appearance.
This lets you focus your learning on the words that matter most, rather than jumping between unrelated words. Start with the most commonly tested words and work your way through each group at your own pace.
Ready to boost your vocabulary?
Build Vocabulary Now