want
verb (used with object)
to feel a need or a desire for; wish for.
have wanted
-
present perfectof want.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
We still aren’t 100 percent clear on who the people behind Wedgewood are, but they may have wanted to make money by manipulating betting markets on the races they claimed to survey.
From Slate ● Oct. 22, 2026
It's far from the "omotenashi" spirit - Japan's whole-hearted hospitality that is almost an art form - they might have wanted to showcase.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
“Who Is Martin Mull?” spends as much time on Mull’s career as a painter as it does on his comedy, which is how he would have wanted it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
Some have wanted to escape Washington’s notorious humid summers, while others longed to flee the cold and create a “winter White House” in warmer climes.
From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026
“He would have wanted you to have it,” he said, extending it again my way.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
