requirement
Americannoun
-
something demanded or imposed as an obligation
Latin is no longer a requirement for entry to university
-
a thing desired or needed
-
the act or an instance of requiring
Usage
What does requirement mean? A requirement is something that’s mandatory or necessary—it’s something you need to have or need to do. Requirement is most often used in official contexts in which achieving a certain status requires you to perform certain actions or have certain things, such as documents. Example: By passing this class you have now met all of the basic requirements for your major and will be able to walk at graduation in May.
Synonym Usage
Requirement, requisite refer to that which is necessary. A requirement is some quality or performance demanded of a person in accordance with certain fixed regulations: requirements for admission to college. A requisite is not imposed from outside; it is a factor which is judged necessary according to the nature of things, or to the circumstances of the case: Efficiency is a requisite for success in business. Requisite may also refer to a concrete object judged necessary: the requisites for perfect grooming.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of requirement
Explanation
Necessary, inescapable, and non-negotiable, a requirement is something that must be done, like the dishes. Speaking politely to your grandparents may be a requirement of living in your parents' house. Requirements can be imposed by an authority. For example, in college, it is usually a requirement that you study math, English, and history, before you go on to get your degree in underwater basket weaving. We can also speak of the requirements of a living system: your body requires water to stay alive; light is a requirement of photosynthesis.
Vocabulary lists containing requirement
Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 81-90
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Supreme Court healthcare ruling
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"Building Design and Construction Handbook," Vocabulary from Section 1
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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:
“We need a little bit of time to assess what exactly that requirement would look like,” said Kate Huckelbridge, executive director of the Coastal Commission.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
Tan also sees a risk of the central bank raising its statutory reserve requirement ratio by 100 basis points to 2.00% in 2027.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Fogg, who pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation at an earlier hearing, was also ordered to carry out a 24-day rehabilitation activity requirement and 120 hours unpaid work.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
In legalese, this requirement is known as mens rea—literally, “guilty mind.”
From Slate ● Oct. 25, 2026
Like, we’re here for a job interview and the one requirement is that you wear one of your mom’s polyester suits.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
Pilots must generally complete 1,500 hours of flying to work for airlines, in addition to meeting other requirements.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
There are several stipulations, including income requirements for buyers and that the money go toward only purchasing new homes, something Hertzberg said he hopes will spur construction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
Talk to your neurologist or neurosurgeon about whether driving is safe, and check your insurer’s disclosure requirements.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
The so-called "quiet quitting" trend where workers do the basic requirements of a job but refuse to do anything more might be hitting the economy, analysis has found.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
But the advantage of the Wolf Trap was that it laid no requirements on what the Martian microbes must do with their food.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
