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require

American  

[ri-kwahyuhr] / rɪˈkwaɪər /

verb (used with object)

• requires,
  present (3rd person singular)
• required,
  past participle,  past
• requiring
  present participle

1. to have need of; need.

   He requires medical care.

2. to call on authoritatively; order or enjoin to do something.

   to require an agent to account for money spent.

3. to ask for authoritatively or imperatively; demand.

   Antonyms:

   forgo

4. to impose need or occasion for; make necessary or indispensable.

   The work required infinite patience.

5. to call for or exact as obligatory; ordain.

   The law requires annual income-tax returns.

6. to place under an obligation or necessity.

   The situation requires me to take immediate action.

   Synonyms:

   necessitate, obligate

7. Chiefly British. to desire; wish to have.

   Will you require tea at four o'clock?

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verb (used without object)

• requires,
  present (3rd person singular)
• required,
  past participle,  past
• requiring
  present participle

1. to demand; impose obligation.

   to do as the law requires.

require British  

/ rɪˈkwaɪə /

verb

1. to have need of; depend upon; want

2. to impose as a necessity; make necessary

   this work requires precision

3. (also intr) to make formal request (for); insist upon or demand, esp as an obligation

4. to call upon or oblige (a person) authoritatively; order or command

   to require someone to account for his actions

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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. 

Synonym Usage

See demand.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• requirer
  noun
• prerequire
  verb (used with object)
• nonrequirable
  adjective
• quasi-required
  adjective
• requirable
  adjective
• unrequired
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• requiring
  present
• required
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• require
  simple
• requires
  simple
• have required
  perfect
• has required
  perfect
• am requiring
  progressive
• are requiring
  progressive
• is requiring
  progressive
• have been requiring
  perfect progressive
• has been requiring
  perfect progressive

Past

• required
  simple
• had required
  perfect
• was requiring
  progressive
• were requiring
  progressive
• had been requiring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will require
  simple
• will have required
  perfect
• will be requiring
  progressive
• will have been requiring
  perfect progressive

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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”; cf. quest ( def. )

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Explanation

Require means to need. You require food, water, and shelter to live, but do you really require that new pair of high-fashion shoes? The verb require comes from Latin root words re-, meaning "repeatedly," and quaerere, meaning "to ask." The word lost the sense of asking and came to mean needing, demanding, or insisting upon something. The law requires that you attend school until you're sixteen; your parents probably require you to finish high school. If you're a waiter in a fancy restaurant and the food has been served, you might ask if your customers require anything else.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

require requires required requiring

In the long-term the data centre would require a connection of 150MW from the national grid.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Downing a single Russian attack drone can require at least two interceptor drones.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Although practical applications will require further development, this atomic-scale approach could eventually help researchers manage both vortex movement and heat flow in future superconducting technologies, potentially enabling more efficient devices that consume less power.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

USC considers SAT and ACT scores if applicants submit them but does not require them.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

“I am here on board business, at the chairman’s urgent request. I require access to your office. I need to see the files.”

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

The country house clause requires an isolated design of "exceptional quality" in that it "is truly outstanding", would "significantly enhance its immediate setting and be sensitive to the defining characteristics of the local area".

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

Another advantage is that iISM requires substantially less illumination power than comparable label-free methods that produce high-contrast images.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026

Xuan is recovering from leukemia treatments, has a “hole in his chest” and has fallen so ill he now permanently requires a wheelchair, Krems said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Signed into law last month, the bill requires California companies and manufacturers to disclose online a list of ingredients, and their purpose, by January 2029.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

It requires only a small amount of water to fill the tube, but because the height is great it exerts an enormous pressure—enough to burst the barrel.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

The court will decide exactly how closely judges are required to listen to guidelines of the United States Sentencing Commission over how long a convicted defendant can be jailed for.

From Slate ● Oct. 18, 2026

The college, like many others, also has extensive rules for throwing parties, including a required review by a party committee.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

Even if leave is granted, travel itself is restricted, with official permission required for people to travel outside their city or county.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

They finished by checking the thermal control system, which maintains the temperatures required for the instrument's various components to function correctly.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026

There was no mirror handy, but none was required; the truth of it was reflected on her husband’s face.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

I’d simply like us to question whether requiring a phone is always an improvement, and remember that convenience isn’t much of a convenience when opting out stops being possible.

From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026

"Reducing that noise is a major technical challenge requiring advanced technology -- and North Korea does not yet appear to have reached that level."

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

The additional capacity should support rising data demand without requiring as much spending on new network sites, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Last month, a review by the Northern Ireland Assembly into Donaldson's conduct during his time at Stormont found "no relevant information" requiring further investigation.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

Inevitably there are mystery items requiring extra time and inquiry: clothes that have wandered over from girls’ or men’s, clearanced items whose tags haven’t been changed to reflect their new prices, the occasional one-of-a-kind.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

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Related Words

• call for
• cause
• compel
• demand
• expect
• instruct
• involve
• obligate
• oblige
• order
• request
• take

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