requirement

American  

[ri-kwahyuhr-muhnt] / rɪˈkwaɪər mənt /

noun

requirements plural

1. that which is required; a thing demanded or obligatory.

   One of the requirements of the job is accuracy.

2. an act or instance of requiring.

   Synonyms:

   claim, demand, directive, injunction, command, order

3. a need or necessity.

   to meet the requirements of daily life.

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requirement British  

/ rɪˈkwaɪəmənt /

noun

1. something demanded or imposed as an obligation

   Latin is no longer a requirement for entry to university

2. a thing desired or needed

3. the act or an instance of requiring

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requirement Idioms  

1. see meet the requirements.

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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

• nonrequirement
  noun
• prerequirement
  noun
• superrequirement
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• requirements
  plural

Etymology

Origin of requirement

First recorded in 1520–30; require + -ment

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.

Example Sentences

While the building’s bones remain intact — a requirement of its historic-cultural monument designation — the space has an industrial-modern twist inspired by L.A.’s creative spirit.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2026

The requirement for extra investments comes at a time many traditional industries in Germany are struggling, with weak demand at home and growing competition in key export markets.

From Barron's • Jul. 2, 2026

Investors and analysts say Strategy can’t protect both its common and preferred shareholders while also servicing a $1.8 billion annual dividend obligation on its preferred stocks—a cash requirement that vastly outstrips its core software revenue.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026

That requirement was intended to shield the bank from political pressure and help ensure it sets policy to serve long-term economic goals, rather than short-term interests.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026

Thus, the essential trick of gene replication could come from the requirement that each base in the newly synthesized chain always hydrogen-bonds to an identical base.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

Related Words

• concern
• condition
• demand
• need
• obligation
• precondition
• prerequisite
• provision
• qualification
• specification
• stipulation