adj. 1. a. Subject to no further debate or dispute; final and unassailable: a peremptory decree. b. Not allowing contradiction or refusal; imperative: The officer issued peremptory commands. 2. Offensively self-assured; imperious or dictatorial: a swaggering, peremptory manner. [Latin perēmptōrius, from perēmptus, past participle of perimere, to take away : per-, per- + emere, to obtain; see em- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] per·empto·ri·ly adv. per·empto·ri·ness n. |
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