demand
Americanverb (used with object)
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demands,
present (3rd person singular)
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demanded,
past participle, past
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demanding
present participle
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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
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demands
plural
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the act of demanding.
-
something that is demanded.
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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.
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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
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an urgent or peremptory requirement or request
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something that requires special effort or sacrifice
a demand on one's time
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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
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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:
A mixture of low rainfall, high temperatures and demand put pressure on water supply in England more so than elsewhere in the UK.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Fridges from the UK are now being exported to Europe to meet demand, with only one more UK processing plant due to open next year.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
A further decline in prices could add to concerns about economic activity, while stronger housing demand could reinforce the case for tighter policy if inflation remains elevated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
She pointed out commentary from Nvidia’s management that its revenue forecast factors in that there won’t be enough supply to meet all its demand.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
“Give that to me,” I demand, my voice and my insides shaking.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
However, in contemporary Austria, demands for remembrance are increasingly clashing with "the opposite tendency, namely to say: 'Now this really has to stop'," he said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
Michael Horn, a faculty member at the Harvard Graduate School of Education who studies education trends, said the campuses are trying to meet the changing demands of their students and future employers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
It serves as a reminder of the sheer amount of strategizing that organic marketing now demands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
A V&A spokesperson said the museum had been negotiating with the unions since February and had met the majority of their demands with "a significantly improved offer".
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
All were met with walls of capslock screaming and demands to know all the details.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
She turned him down after his manager demanded half the rights.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
The Brazilian government on Wednesday said it was suing the Discord messaging platform for nearly $100 million in damages over its alleged failure to protect children from harmful content and demanded it adopt stronger safeguards.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
In a draft response to Live Nation’s initial proposal, they demanded the company spin off Ticketmaster, according to people familiar with the matter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
The lawyers' association similarly expressed "grave concern" and demanded investigation.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
I had demanded to Grandma, at nine years old.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
“I don’t think demanding that women and girls be safe and have ownership over their own bodies is a radical idea,” Rodrigo said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Similarly, American Oversight, a government watchdog group, sent a letter Thursday demanding the Department of Justice immediately open an investigation.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026
Brazil is demanding that Discord implement stricter parental controls, cooperate more closely with the authorities and implement systems capable of detecting and preventing situations that put minors at risk.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
They described it as "one of the most demanding focus stacks we've ever created".
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
François was stern, demanding instant obedience, and by virtue of his whip receiving instant obedience; while Dave, who was an experienced wheeler, nipped Buck’s hind quarters whenever he was in error.
From "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London
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.
