deontic.

Relating to what is obligatory, permitted, or forbidden rather than merely possible or probable.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• deontic logic
• deontic modality
• deontic meaning

On the page

In 'You must submit the form,' must has a deontic meaning.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal / analytical. Lexical Type: Word. Forms: Normally non-gradable; no ordinary comparative or superlative. Commonness: uncommon (editorial estimate; not a corpus frequency statistic). Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1; numbered fields keep each relevant meaning separate. Research distinction: MW verifies moral-obligation scope; Cambridge usage explicitly contrasts obligation and permission. Keep separate from probability or practical possibility. Writing functions: analysis, conceptual distinction.