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:
Resitting is not a requirement, according to the DfE, but colleges will generally enter students into exams when they think they are ready.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Ending that requirement would help refocus the law on protecting individuals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Virgin was granted access last year to the Temple Mills International site for maintaining and storing trains, a critical requirement for an operator to launch services.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
The ruling also raised concerns over the law's requirement to provide proof of age to access online services and said it failed to establish "the legal safeguards necessary".
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Joe says it is impossible to hate them, at a time in life when hating your parents starts feeling like a requirement.
From "The Misfits" by James Howe
It also agreed to give homeowners extra time to comply with more onerous requirements, such as upgrading or replacing wooden fences and sheds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
There's no doubt during the 20 months since his arrival at Villa's Bodymoor Heath training ground that Hemmings has been nurtured in the strict requirements of 'Emery Ball'.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
As for playing linebacker, Kirkpatrick said the requirements include playing like a “Swiss Army Knife.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
The memorandum spells out extensive requirements for participants, including federal vetting, operational oversight, and steep financial penalties for rule violations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
There were lots of requirements, and I didn't have half of them.
From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
Definitions 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.
