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desideratum

[ dih-sid-uh-rey-tuh m, -rah-, -zid- ]
/ dɪˌsɪd əˈreɪ təm, -ˈrɑ-, -ˌzɪd- /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR desideratum ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural de·sid·er·a·ta [dih-sid-uh-rey-tuh, -rah-, -zid-] /dɪˌsɪd əˈreɪ tə, -ˈrɑ-, -ˌzɪd-/.

something wanted or needed.

RELATED WORDS

requirement, precondition, prerequisite, fundamental, obligation, essential, urgency, use, right, wish, commitment, demand, specification, stipulation, qualification, need, provision, condition, concern, desire

Nearby words

  1. desiccation,
  2. desiccator,
  3. desiderata,
  4. desiderate,
  5. desiderative,
  6. desiderium,
  7. design,
  8. designate,
  9. designated,
  10. designated driver

Origin of desideratum

1645–55; < Latin, noun use of neuter past participle of dēsīderāre; see desiderate

desiderata

[ dih-sid-uh-rey-tuh, -rah-, -zid- ]
/ dɪˌsɪd əˈreɪ tə, -ˈrɑ-, -ˌzɪd- /

plural noun, singular de·sid·er·a·tum.

things wanted or needed; the plural of desideratum: “Happily-ever-after” and “eternal love” appear to be the desiderata of the current generation; to whom “fat chance” say those of us who are older, wiser, and more curmudgeonly.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for desideratum

British Dictionary definitions for desideratum

desideratum

/ (dɪˌzɪdəˈrɑːtəm) /

noun plural -ta (-tə)

something lacked and wanted

Word Origin for desideratum

C17: from Latin; see desiderate

desiderata

/ (dɪˌzɪdəˈrɑːtə) /

noun

the plural of desideratum
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for desideratum
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper