on demand

Idioms

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]

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.

See Examples For:

on demand

“Airlines don’t price competitively to start, since they have an ample amount of time to adjust based on demand and inventory,” she says.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

Big investors are piling into industrial outdoor storage, seizing on demand from data-center developers for these 10-acre yards.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

Employees shouldn’t have to manufacture delight on demand while working short-staffed shifts for inadequate pay, fielding customer complaints about things outside their control.

From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026

The technology could eventually make it possible to build antennas that change their length and direction on demand, opening up new possibilities for wireless communications, radar, satellites, and space exploration.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 9, 2026

An actor taught his nieces and nephews to cry on demand, the craft of bereavement.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023