demand
Americanverb (used with object)
-
demands,
present (3rd person singular)
-
demanded,
past participle, past
-
demanding
present participle
-
to ask for with proper authority; claim as a right.
He demanded payment of the debt.
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to ask for peremptorily or urgently.
He demanded sanctuary. She demanded that we let her in.
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to call for or require as just, proper, or necessary.
This task demands patience. Justice demands objectivity.
- Synonyms:
- exact
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Law.
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to lay formal legal claim to.
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to summon, as to court.
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verb (used without object)
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demands,
present (3rd person singular)
-
demanded,
past participle, past
-
demanding
present participle
noun
-
demands
plural
-
the act of demanding.
-
something that is demanded.
-
an urgent or pressing requirement.
demands upon one's time.
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Economics.
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the desire to purchase, coupled with the power to do so.
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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.
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the state of being wanted or sought for purchase or use.
an article in great demand.
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Archaic. inquiry; question.
idioms
verb
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to request peremptorily or urgently
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to require or need as just, urgent, etc
the situation demands attention
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to claim as a right; exact
his parents demanded obedience of him
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law to make a formal legal claim to (property, esp realty)
noun
-
an urgent or peremptory requirement or request
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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
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an insistent question or query
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economics
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willingness and ability to purchase goods and services
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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
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sought after; popular
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as soon as requested
a draft payable on demand
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
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counterdemandnoun
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demandernoun
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superdemandnoun
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overdemandverb
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predemandverb (used with object)
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demandableadjective
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undemandedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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demandsimple
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demandssimple
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have demandedperfect
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has demandedperfect
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am demandingprogressive
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are demandingprogressive
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is demandingprogressive
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have been demandingperfect progressive
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has been demandingperfect progressive
Past
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demandedsimple
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had demandedperfect
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was demandingprogressive
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were demandingprogressive
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had been demandingperfect progressive
Future
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”; see de-, mandate
Explanation
Demand means "an urgent request," like your demand that teachers give no homework on the weekend, or the act of making the request — teachers who demand that the work get done, even if it's the weekend. Demand comes from the Old French word demander, meaning "ask, make inquiry." A demand is a lot stronger than that, however. When you demand something, you want action now. A demand can also mean "to require" like cold weather that demands warm coats and boots. Demand is also an economic term, meaning "the amount of an item that can be sold," like the demand for those snow boots: high in winter and nonexistent in summer.
Vocabulary lists containing demand
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The Industrial Revolution - Introductory
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 1
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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:
The company said demand is strong for the December quarter, with prices trending modestly ahead of the same time last year, but that Christmas and school midterm bookings will determine where quarterly fares land.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
They said they are expecting even higher demand this year.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
South Korean chipmakers have seen profits and share prices skyrocket as frenzied demand for AI infrastructure squeezes the global supply of memory chips.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
October’s demand growth was mainly driven by new product launches and improved production capabilities, with exporters reporting higher sales volumes last month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
“Well! The paper said Mr. Micheaux has a new film coming later this year, and I am desperate to see it on opening night. You will have to come with me, chickadee. I demand it.”
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
So far, there are no signs of investor reluctance over Anthropic’s unique corporate structure—intended, in part, to shield safety decisions around AI from investor and market demands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
But following a security clampdown and serious injuries to some protesters, the movement broadened its demands to include greater protection of civil liberties and the right to protest.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2026
For the rest of that year the student-led protests continued, with increasingly bold demands for changes to the monarchy.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
It’s cheap, keeps beautifully in the refrigerator and demands almost no knife skills.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026
“Isn’t this great news for you?” he demands.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
China Media Group had earlier demanded apologies from the three parties, calling them "an absolute prerequisite" for moving past the incident.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
Complications and byzantine controversies helped stymie the union in its adolescence, with Huerta usually supporting Chávez, even as he became distracted from the union’s central work and demanded absolute power.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
Some had marked the loans down to about 66 cents on the dollar, and they demanded Clearlake increase its investment in symplr first.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
In a video posted online, Dijana Hrka, whose son died in the station collapse, demanded an apology from Informer editor-in-chief Dragan Vucicevic.
From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026
“What will happen if we try that code? If we open the door?” he demanded.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers blocked a major highway and clashed with police on Monday, demanding a monthly minimum wage more than double their current pay, as protests spread across industrial hubs.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
The route to Everest proves demanding in heart and health.
From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026
She travelled up and down the country as one of the leading voices in the movement, demanding changes to Thailand's old-fashioned education system, conducting polls on what people thought of the monarchy.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Officials say international supply disruptions linked to the Iran war have compounded the problem, with banks struggling to honour letters of credit and some overseas suppliers demanding upfront payment.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
East German guards kept watch over random checkpoints, demanding identity papers for anyone wishing to pass through.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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