demand

[ dih-mand, -mahnd ]

/ dɪˈmænd, -ˈmɑnd /

verb (used with object)

to ask for with proper authority; claim as a right: He demanded payment of the debt.

to ask for peremptorily or urgently: He demanded sanctuary. She demanded that we let her in.

to call for or require as just, proper, or necessary: This task demands patience. Justice demands objectivity.

Law.

to lay formal legal claim to.
to summon, as to court.

verb (used without object)

to make a demand; inquire; ask.

noun

the act of demanding.

something that is demanded.

an urgent or pressing requirement: demands upon one's time.

Economics.

the desire to purchase, coupled with the power to do so.
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.

the state of being wanted or sought for purchase or use: an article in great demand.

Archaic. inquiry; question.

Nearby words

demagogic, demagogue, demagoguery, demagoguism, demagogy, demand, demand bid, demand bill, demand curve, demand deposit, demand feeding

Idioms

on demand, upon presentation or request for payment: The fee is payable on demand.

Origin of demand

1250–1300; Middle English demaunden < Anglo-French demaunder < Medieval Latin dēmandāre to demand, L to entrust, equivalent to dē- de- + mandāre to commission, order; see mandate

SYNONYMS FOR demand

3 exact.

Related forms

de·mand·a·ble, adjectivede·mand·er, nouncoun·ter·de·mand, nouno·ver·de·mand, verb, noun

pre·de·mand, verb (used with object)su·per·de·mand, nounun·de·mand·ed, adjective

Synonym study

3. 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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for on demand

demand

/ (dɪˈmɑːnd) /

verb (tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive)

to request peremptorily or urgently

to require or need as just, urgent, etcthe situation demands attention

to claim as a right; exacthis parents demanded obedience of him

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 sacrificea demand on one's time

the act of demanding something or the thing demandedthe kidnappers' demand was a million pounds

an insistent question or query

economics

willingness and ability to purchase goods and services
the amount of a commodity that consumers are willing and able to purchase at a specified priceCompare supply 1 (def. 9)

law a formal legal claim, esp to real property

in demand sought after; popular

on demand as soon as requesteda draft payable on demand

Derived Formsdemandable, adjectivedemander, noun

Word Origin for demand

C13: from Anglo-French demaunder, from Medieval Latin dēmandāre, from Latin: to commit to, from de- + mandāre to command, entrust; see mandate

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 on demand (1 of 2)

demand

late 13c., "a question," from Old French demande (see demand (v.)). Meaning "a request, claim" is from c.1300. In the political economy sense (correlating to supply) it is attested from 1776 in Adam Smith.

Word Origin and History for on demand (1 of 2)

demand

late 14c., "ask, make inquiry," from Old French demander (12c.) "to request; to demand," from Latin demandare "entrust, charge with a commission" (in Vulgar Latin, "to ask, request, demand"), from de- "completely" (see de-) + mandare "to order" (see mandate). Meaning "to ask for as a right" is early 15c., from Anglo-French legal use. Related: Demanded; demanding.

Culture definitions for on demand

demand

The amount of any given commodity that people are ready and able to buy at a given time for a given price. (See supply and demand.)

Idioms and Phrases with on demand (1 of 2)

on demand

When needed or asked for, as in She's always ready to sing on demand, or Nowadays infants are generally fed on demand. This usage is a broadening of this phrase's meaning in finance, that is, “payable on being requested or presented,” as in This note is payable on demand. [Late 1600s]

Idioms and Phrases with on demand (2 of 2)

demand

see in demand; make demands on; on demand.

demand

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

RELATED CONTENT

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of demand

Synonym study

British Dictionary definitions for on demand

demand

verb (tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive)

noun

Word Origin for demand

Word Origin and History for on demand (1 of 2)

demand

Word Origin and History for on demand (1 of 2)

demand

Culture definitions for on demand

demand

Idioms and Phrases with on demand (1 of 2)

on demand

Idioms and Phrases with on demand (2 of 2)

demand