word
Mandatory Minimum
MAN-dah-tor-ee MIN-ih-mum
/ˈmændətɔːriː ˈmɪnɪməm/Listen
Hear it in a clear American voice. Slow it down to catch each syllable.
Syllable breakdown
mandatoryminimum
Dictionary meaning
A sentencing law requiring a fixed minimum prison term for a specific offence, removing a judge's discretion to impose a lighter sentence regardless of mitigating circumstances; controversial because of their contribution to mass incarceration and racial disparities
Examples
- Federal mandatory minimum sentences for drug offences have been widely criticised for filling prisons with low-level offenders while doing little to deter drug trafficking.
- The First Step Act of 2018 reduced some mandatory minimum sentences and gave judges more discretion in sentencing.
Synonyms: mandatory sentence, minimum term, fixed sentencing
Pronunciation tips
Seven syllables; stress the first and fifth: MAN- and MIN-; 'mandatory' has four syllables in American English
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