require
Americanverb (used with object)
-
requires,
present (3rd person singular)
-
required,
past participle, past
-
requiring
present participle
-
to have need of; need.
He requires medical care.
-
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
-
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
-
Chiefly British. to desire; wish to have.
Will you require tea at four o'clock?
verb (used without object)
-
requires,
present (3rd person singular)
-
required,
past participle, past
-
requiring
present participle
verb
-
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.
Synonym Usage
See demand.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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requirernoun
-
prerequireverb (used with object)
-
nonrequirableadjective
-
quasi-requiredadjective
-
requirableadjective
-
unrequiredadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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requiresimple
-
requiressimple
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have requiredperfect
-
has requiredperfect
-
am requiringprogressive
-
are requiringprogressive
-
is requiringprogressive
-
have been requiringperfect progressive
-
has been requiringperfect progressive
Past
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requiredsimple
-
had requiredperfect
-
was requiringprogressive
-
were requiringprogressive
-
had been requiringperfect progressive
Future
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. )
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.
Vocabulary lists containing require
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 81-90
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Quartering Act (1765)
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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:
Downing a single Russian attack drone can require at least two interceptor drones.
From The Wall Street Journal ● 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
"Given the potentially deadly consequences, these incidents require immediate investigation," the senators add.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Even for entry, many foreign countries require your passport to show at least six months of remaining validity.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
It would require a great deal of good luck and not one spoonful of bad, and what were the odds of that happening?
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Democracy requires interactions, and if we cannot find a way to find common ground, that’s my big worry.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Stair-climbing has stumped the robotics field for decades, as the activity requires continuous center-of-gravity shifts and visual information processing.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
As chief innovation officer at baby-care brand HealthyBaby, Swank and the company’s founder-CEO helped advocate for the passage of new California legislation that requires brands to provide more transparency into diaper ingredients.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
At the cellular level, keeping muscles healthy requires a careful balance between producing new proteins and disposing of old or damaged ones.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
It is a sonic event—a communication just like speech, which requires us to listen, process, and respond.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
In 2017, Tesla said it would sell 1,000 “Founders Series” models, each of which required buyers to put down $250,000 at the time.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
She adds that it took a lot of work with coaches and classes for her to relax into acting again, allowing Aida the comedian to rest while focusing on what this role required of her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
The reactor would have required far more uranium and heavy water than Germany had available during the war.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
"That is why country strategies and compacts matter. Roadmaps built around a country's ambitions, the results we are trying to achieve together, and the investments and reforms required to get there," he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
But that would have required explaining to him that others also have things to say and share about their lives.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
“The Spirits” has no Ebenezer Scrooge requiring supernatural intervention to see the evil of his ways.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Perhaps Bass’ biggest housing accomplishment during her first term was Executive Directive 1, which she signed her first week in office, requiring the city to fast-track approval of 100% affordable housing projects with below-market rents.
From Los Angeles Times ● 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
Depreciation expense reduces the taxable portion of rental income without requiring a check.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
Hoover also told Stone that per his wishes he had raised the employment qualifications for new agents, requiring them to have some legal training or knowledge of accounting.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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