demand
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to ask for with proper authority; claim as a right.
He demanded payment of the debt.
-
to ask for peremptorily or urgently.
He demanded sanctuary. She demanded that we let her in.
-
to call for or require as just, proper, or necessary.
This task demands patience. Justice demands objectivity.
- Synonyms:
- exact
-
Law.
-
to lay formal legal claim to.
-
to summon, as to court.
-
verb (used without object)
noun
-
the act of demanding.
-
something that is demanded.
-
an urgent or pressing requirement.
demands upon one's time.
-
Economics.
-
the desire to purchase, coupled with the power to do so.
-
the quantity of goods that buyers will take at a particular price.
-
-
a requisition; a legal claim.
The demands of the client could not be met.
-
the state of being wanted or sought for purchase or use.
an article in great demand.
-
Archaic. inquiry; question.
idioms
verb
-
to request peremptorily or urgently
-
to require or need as just, urgent, etc
the situation demands attention
-
to claim as a right; exact
his parents demanded obedience of him
-
law to make a formal legal claim to (property, esp realty)
noun
-
an urgent or peremptory requirement or request
-
something that requires special effort or sacrifice
a demand on one's time
-
the act of demanding something or the thing demanded
the kidnappers' demand was a million pounds
-
an insistent question or query
-
economics
-
willingness and ability to purchase goods and services
-
the amount of a commodity that consumers are willing and able to purchase at a specified price Compare supply 1
-
-
law a formal legal claim, esp to real property
-
sought after; popular
-
as soon as requested
a draft payable on demand
Related Words
Demand, claim, require imply making an authoritative request. To demand is to ask in a bold, authoritative way: to demand an explanation. To claim is to assert a right to something: He claimed it as his due. To require is to ask for something as being necessary; to compel: The Army requires absolute obedience of its soldiers.
Other Word Forms
- counterdemand noun
- demandable adjective
- demander noun
- overdemand verb
- predemand verb (used with object)
- superdemand noun
- undemanded adjective
Etymology
Origin of demand
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English demaunden, from Anglo-French demaunder, from Medieval Latin dēmandāre “to demand,” Latin “to entrust,” equivalent to dē- negative prefix + mandāre “to commission, order”; de-, mandate
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The information manager is in charge of dealing with the "relentless" demand for appointments and is often the first person to give someone in need a reassurance that recovery is possible.
From BBC
Rate cuts will support inflows into the precious metal, while geopolitical and economic uncertainties will fuel additional demand, they said.
U.S. natural gas closed higher on the day but lower for the week, as an updated climate outlook forecast mild winter conditions that would limit demand for heating.
Factory orders, a barometer of future industrial demand, picked up in the final four months of 2025.
"Markets have priced in a higher probability of deeper Fed rate cuts this year, driving real yields lower and supporting gold demand," Standard Chartered said in a note.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
