requirement
Americannoun
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something demanded or imposed as an obligation
Latin is no longer a requirement for entry to university
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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:
These updates to security protocols follow a move from TSA last year to end the requirement that passengers remove their shoes during security screenings, an unpopular policy in place for two decades.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
The lump-sum requirement still applies, meaning everything still has to leave the plan in one year.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
Meanwhile, Deere says it won’t share any JD data with other parties without farmers’ permission and is requiring its dealers to abide by the same requirement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
The legislation includes a requirement that platforms allow users to "opt out" of powerful algorithms that determine what comes up on social media feeds.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
Second, the two elements being compared should be grammatically and semantically parallel, a requirement that’s easy to flub when the first is complex.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
It also met Jordan’s wish list of requirements: It has a bathtub and in-unit laundry and is on the first floor, making her loading and unloading of work supplies easier.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
The LNG equipment added weight to the ship, making it harder to meet the demanding cargo carrying requirements without adopting a bulky hull shape, which in turn had an impact on fuel efficiency and speed.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Potential European tariff increases on China EV makers and higher requirements on auto parts localization are weighing on sentiment, they say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
In 2022, the shock stemmed from an EU policy decision to reduce reliance on Russian gas, which at the time provided 45 percent of the bloc's requirements, according to Schroer.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
The requirements of the American Revolution, in effect, cut both ways at once.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
