require
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to have need of; need.
He requires medical care.
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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.
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to place under an obligation or necessity.
The situation requires me to take immediate action.
- Synonyms:
- necessitate, obligate
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Chiefly British. to desire; wish to have.
Will you require tea at four o'clock?
verb (used without object)
verb
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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.
Related Words
See demand.
Other Word Forms
- nonrequirable adjective
- prerequire verb (used with object)
- quasi-required adjective
- requirable adjective
- requirer noun
- unrequired adjective
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”; quest ( def. )
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.
GP-stakes transactions are all privately negotiated and bespoke, requiring a great deal of knowledge of the target firm and its prospects, he said.
But the staggering descriptions of Old World forests and the incredible human effort required to destroy them linger long after the saga concludes.
From Los Angeles Times
It doesn’t always require spending gobs more money.
From Los Angeles Times
Even though she’s a trained singer, with film credits including “Mamma Mia!” and “Les Misérables,” this peculiar religious epic required an enormous leap of faith.
From Los Angeles Times
“Leading a public office requires a willingness to learn and serve — and I’m a quick study.”
From Salon
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.
