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.
-
to lay formal legal claim to.
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to summon, as to court.
-
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
-
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
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economics
-
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
-
sought after; popular
-
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
-
has been demandingperfect progressive
Past
-
demandedsimple
-
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:
One factor driving some investors to buy houses now is strong rental demand.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 17, 2026
“The long-term trend is one of strong growth and continued institutional demand for our platform,” Blue Owl’s spokesman said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
But it’s also true that hackers will often keep information confidential pending the outcome of a ransom demand.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
These included the rising cost of living and increased demand for essential household items and practical support, it said.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
“I am a princess. I demand to see Malevolent!”
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
Their demands, however, are colliding with the financial realities of a cash-strapped French state.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
Preventing muscle decline can help older adults remain independent while reducing the demands placed on caregivers and healthcare systems.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
The move, orchestrated by Everett to satisfy the demands of the company’s top-dollar backers, cheats Michael out of his stock options and equity in the company.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
More job cuts and A.I. demands are expected, and the wholesale absorption of Hulu’s app into the Disney+ interface is still happening.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
Gloria demands, handing me the end of the string of lights.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
She said she was not able to rest because of the malicious lies printed about her daughter and demanded an apology from The Herald and Marie Claire.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
"Fix Our Feeds" demanded recommended algorithms be turned off by default, and social media users be given the choice to opt into them.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Protesters and riot police clashed in Tirana as thousands of demonstrators rallied for better university conditions and demanded Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
While Elliot was still recovering in a maternity ward the next day, Zhang demanded she buy a car seat and drive Zhang and her newborn son to the airport, according to the suit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
“Oh, stop! Stop it, all of you!” the angel demanded, pointing her flashlight over Clare’s hiding place in the bushes.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
The coronagraph now meets the team's demanding performance expectations.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
"Sort of quite demanding and persuasive. I think erratic would be maybe a slightly better term."
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Thai farmers, fishermen and workers marched through Bangkok Friday as global finance and business leaders gathered for IMF and World Bank meetings, demanding a say in policies shaping their livelihoods.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
A “whistleblower” is seeking the counsel of Michael and Olivia to sue a tech company called Colt AI, demanding they reinstate safety guardrails and an ethics committee.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Several months later, three hundred suffragists in Oakland, California, marched to a state political convention demanding the right to vote.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
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