Meaning & use
Precatory
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Expressing a wish, request, or recommendation rather than a binding command, especially in a legal document.
See it in a sentence
The clause was found to be merely precatory, so the court held it created no enforceable duty.
Her will contained a precatory statement asking her children to care for the family dog.
A note on using this word
Precatory comes from the Latin "precari," meaning "to pray or entreat," and appears mainly in wills, trusts, and legal writing to distinguish a wish from an enforceable command.
Words with a similar meaning
advisorynon-binding
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Words with an opposite meaning
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