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Prepositions after adjectives

Obligatory for or obligatory on

Both obligatory for and obligatory on are used, but they focus on different relationships.

Quick answer

Use obligatory for things and obligatory on people

Obligatory for usually means required for a group, activity, or purpose. Obligatory on refers to a duty imposed on a person or organisation.

Uniforms are obligatory for all students.
Training is obligatory for new employees.
Disclosure is obligatory on public companies.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
obligatory for + group

Requirements for people or activities

Use for to show who or what must follow a requirement.

Helmets are obligatory for cyclists.
Attendance is obligatory for staff members.
2
obligatory on + person/organisation

Duties imposed on someone

Use on when emphasising the burden or obligation placed on someone.

Reporting is obligatory on licensed operators.
These checks are obligatory on all applicants.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
obligatory for
A visa is obligatory for visitors.
Standard and common for requirements applying to people or situations.
obligatory on
The payment is obligatory on employers.
Standard but more formal; focuses on duty imposed on someone.
obligatory to
Attendance is obligatory to students.
Not the usual pattern in this meaning.
obligatory under
Safety training is obligatory under the law.
Under introduces the legal basis, not the complement of obligatory.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using to after obligatory

To is not the usual preposition after obligatory in this meaning.

✕ The course is obligatory to employees. ✓ The course is obligatory for employees.

Confusing for and on

For highlights who the rule applies to; on highlights who bears the obligation.

✕ Taxes are obligatory for employers in legal notices. ✓ Taxes are obligatory on employers in legal notices.

Using obligatory without context

Obligatory often needs a group or source of obligation.

✕ The form is obligatory. ✓ The form is obligatory for all applicants.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Safety gear is obligatory ___ factory workers.
2. These disclosures are obligatory ___ banks.
3. Which sentence is most natural?

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Frequently asked questions

Is obligatory for correct?

Yes. It is the most common pattern for requirements and rules.

When is obligatory on used?

It is used in formal contexts to stress obligations imposed on people or institutions.

Can obligatory be followed by to?

Usually no in this meaning. Use for or on instead.

obedient-to-unto-in-by, of "objective in" or "objective about"? "oblivious to" or "oblivious of"? observable in, by, from, to or on? obsessed with, by, about, in or over? obsessive about, in, over, with or to? "obsolete in" or "obsolete by"? "obtainable in" or "obtainable from"? "obvious to", "obvious from" or "obvious in"? odd to, for, about, in or on? offensive to, in, against, on or about? official with, in, for, on or at?

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