require
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to have need of; need.
He requires medical care.
-
to call on authoritatively; order or enjoin to do something.
to require an agent to account for money spent.
-
to ask for authoritatively or imperatively; demand.
- Antonyms:
- forgo
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to impose need or occasion for; make necessary or indispensable.
The work required infinite patience.
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to call for or exact as obligatory; ordain.
The law requires annual income-tax returns.
-
to place under an obligation or necessity.
The situation requires me to take immediate action.
- Synonyms:
- necessitate, obligate
-
Chiefly British. to desire; wish to have.
Will you require tea at four o'clock?
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to have need of; depend upon; want
-
to impose as a necessity; make necessary
this work requires precision
-
(also intr) to make formal request (for); insist upon or demand, esp as an obligation
-
to call upon or oblige (a person) authoritatively; order or command
to require someone to account for his actions
Usage
What are other ways to say require? To require something is to have a need for it or to ask for it authoritatively. How does require compare to synonyms want, need, and lack? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Synonym Usage
See demand.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
requirernoun
-
prerequireverb (used with object)
-
nonrequirableadjective
-
quasi-requiredadjective
-
requirableadjective
-
unrequiredadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
requiresimple
-
requiressimple
-
have requiredperfect
-
has requiredperfect
-
am requiringprogressive
-
are requiringprogressive
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is requiringprogressive
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have been requiringperfect progressive
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has been requiringperfect progressive
Past
-
requiredsimple
-
had requiredperfect
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was requiringprogressive
-
were requiringprogressive
-
had been requiringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of require
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English requiren, from Latin requīrere, equivalent to re- re- ( def. ) + -quīrere, combining form of quaerere “to seek, search for”; cf. quest ( def. )
Explanation
Require means to need. You require food, water, and shelter to live, but do you really require that new pair of high-fashion shoes? The verb require comes from Latin root words re-, meaning "repeatedly," and quaerere, meaning "to ask." The word lost the sense of asking and came to mean needing, demanding, or insisting upon something. The law requires that you attend school until you're sixteen; your parents probably require you to finish high school. If you're a waiter in a fancy restaurant and the food has been served, you might ask if your customers require anything else.
Vocabulary lists containing require
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 81-90
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Quartering Act (1765)
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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.
See Examples For:
Unlike some countries, the United States does not require warning labels on foods containing high levels of sugar, sodium or calories.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
State laws now require police departments to release more information about officer misconduct and cases that involve serious uses of force.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
"We require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws, regulations and our own policies," said an Amazon spokesperson.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
First, funding agencies will require researchers to make clear they won’t be proposing any life-sciences experiments that the policy deems too risky to conduct.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
But getting back to it would require passing by that sinister doorway.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Certification for CalFresh requires paperwork to prove residency and income, along with an interview that has to be held in real time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
While the Apple Upgrade option only requires a soft credit pull, consumers should approach this choice with the same principles they would in evaluating whether any leased asset fits in with their financial lives.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Healthy societies also recognize that safety requires checks and balances.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
They are creative projects with the sneaky ability to hollow you out sometimes, especially when the story requires you to watch someone move through a series of the hardest days of their life.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
A canon requires students to echo back a pattern, but one measure later.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
“Olympic-level mental gymnastics are required to square this circle,” said Timothy Caulfield, a professor of law and public health at the University of Alberta.
From Slate ● Jul. 29, 2026
For instance, in March 2026, 13% fewer British pounds were required to purchase a U.S. dollar as compared with the same month the year prior, NAR said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
However, they generally have not completed the same peer review process required for research published in a scientific journal.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
None of the eight met the required dimensions and mechanical strength, while some pins snapped off under force during tests.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Maggie’s Catholic faith required her to stay away from spirit contact.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
It was confusing and frustrating, full of obscure abbreviations and requiring way too many clicks to put in a simple order.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a semiconductor device that uses laser light to direct the movement of electrons without requiring an applied electric field or electrical power source.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
It takes time for parents to understand the level of concern I have, even when their child is physically ill in the hospital requiring ongoing care.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Current planning permission would expire on 3 June 2027, with a condition requiring the site to be restored to its original condition within six months.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
The innocent-sounding words “Yes, it’s close enough to walk” can easily lure the unsuspecting tourist into an exhausting day-long climb, requiring supplemental oxygen, crampons, and a pickax.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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.
